Puella Magi Aternum Bellum: In Someone's Name
by smartcircle
Summary: In the dark future of the 41st Millenium, the Mage Knights are both prime defenders and the prime threats of the Imperium of Mankind. Against a future of despair they fight, even those who turned their back on the Goddess. These are their stories.
1. Discontent

****This is the second story within this universe. The other one is the other story with Aeternum Bellum in the title. Reading it is not required to read this one. They're entirely separate stories, save for a few references.****

* * *

It is the 41st Millennium. For more than hundred centuries, the Goddess has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. She is the Master of Mankind by Her own will, and Master of a Million Worlds by the might of Her magic. She is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from a realm beyond our own.

She is the Carrion Queen of the Imperium, for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that She may never truly die.

Yet even in Her deathless state, The Goddess continues Her eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way guided by the navigators, the brave girls who stare into the realm of daemons. Vast armies give battle in Her name on uncounted worlds. Greatest among Her soldiers are the Adeptus Magica, the Mage Knights, magical girls enhanced with Her power. Their comrades in arms are Legion. The Imperial Guard and countless planetary defence forces, the ever vigilant Inquisition and the Tech-Mages of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants-and worse.

To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the greatest and most bloody regime imaginable. It is to be naught but a bug compared to the titans that are the Goddess's Angels. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Only magic may light the way now. Forget the promise of progress and hope, for the in the grim dark future there is only despair. There is no hope amongst the stars, only an eternity of despair and hatred, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

* * *

Mage Knight: A magical girl who has been recruited into a Chapter, and undergone the necessary training and augmentation. Through this, magical girls are enhanced to become the greatest fighting force at the Imperium's disposal. Without them, mankind would have fallen long ago. Split up under the command of a variety of different chapters, there an estimated two to three point four million mage knights in the galaxy at any one time.

-Excerpt from the Encyclopedia Magica

Mage Knights are what save humanity from the forces that wish to destroy it. If one contracts, then they are sacrificing themselves and whatever they may have done otherwise in the name of Her Holy Majesty. So of course, her family shall be greatly rewarded for the contribution their little girl makes to the rest of the world. Not to mention the honor and prestige that would come with raising an angel who dedicated her life to the Goddess.

-Excerpt from Magical Girl Recruitment Pamphlet, circa M38.

* * *

In the dim light of a starry night, ten millennia ago, a shooting star blazed through the skies of a world in the far reaches of the galactic east. For a brief moment, the heavens were light by the fires of the burning projectile. The sound of a thunderous impact never came.

It was prime hunting season, and a great party of nobles had set out from the great capital into the vast wilds of the planet's forests and mountains. Untouched by civilization, save for traces of a people long gone, they were filled with fierce beasts, harsh conditions, and murderous bandits.

But on the first day of this expedition, in the midst of one of the deepest forests, a little girl was discovered. She could not have been older than fifteen years. She had nothing, not even clothing, save for a single golden gem. The girl didn't seem to understand her surroundings, and couldn't say a single word the men could understand. It was as though she was a baby.

The fear of her discoverers was justified. Since as far as their history recorded, civilization had been plagued by strange disappearances, events beyond reasoning occurring. These nobles would have become her murderers were it not for one amongst their number.

Konor, the king of the city, vouched for her, and decided to give her a chance. Whether it was fate or his compassion that bound him to her, it may never be known. The party returned with haste to their home, and Konor adopted the girl as his daughter. She was surely of the age where she needed a father.

Despite her initial condition, the girl learned quickly. Within only a couple weeks, and with little instruction, the girl had mastered the language of the people. But still, all memory escaped her. She was hailed as a genius at all she did, maintaining a calm demeanor always and speaking with the greatest kindness.

But she knew not her own name. So Konor took to calling her 'The Spear', given the strange shape she somehow gave to her blonde hair. Over time, things started to happen. Previously, something, demons in the minds of the people, had come in the night to murder.

Now, it never occurred. All eyes were on the girl. Coaxing out her memories had become something Konor was dedicated to, hoping to find out the secrets of her existence. For she did not age in anyway, but acted as though she had lived for a hundred years.

One night, she was observed returning in strange garb by her adoptive father. When questioned about it, she explained that she could defeat the monsters, calling them something in a different language. She seemed to know them well. So the girl was hailed as the savior of the people, and word of her spread through merchants, hearsay, and rumor across the planet. Her genius spreading to even the field of military affairs, it was decided she should command the armies of the city.

Still, she knew not who she truly was. Occasionally, something would flash in, either happy or sad. Nothing more than that ever came. What did come was victory. A relatively bloodless victory over all those who opposed the rule of her city. Even the ruthless bandits of the mountains were pacified, and the girl set out home, intent to bring the news to her father.

He'd reached an age too great to campaign safely, and she'd preferred that he stay home. Upon her return, rebellion was all she found there. The city in flames, the nobles lashing out in a bid for control. Upon hearing of her father's death, the girl marched straight to the throne room.

The lead conspirators were there. The girl ordered her personal guards away, and sealed the doors shut. When they were finally battered down some time later, gold and crimson ribbons suspended the conspirators from the ceiling, their faces showing the agony with which they had died.

The girl knelt on the floor, clutching her head as she wept. Two words were repeated over and over again as she cried at the loss of the one true friend she had.

"Mami Tomoe."

~Ten Thousand Years Later~

(The following article is narrated by Her Ladyship Vergiana Laurentia. Any discrepancies with personal experience, knowledge, or any sort of record, are to be immediately reported to the nearest Librarium personnel.)

(Note from the Author: I know this is for an official review and all, but I choose to dress this up a bit, make it interesting to read. My memories can be cross-referenced to confirm no embellishments were made. None were. I wouldn't want to run from the truth.)

It would be on my thirteenth birthday when the Incubator would confirm that I had potential to contract. I wanted to deny it, to somehow argue with it, but how could I fight against a manifestation of Her Holy Majesty?

I could never really blame my parents for pushing me to accept the contract. It would only bring good to them. Giving two of their little girls over to the service of the Goddess would be quite the achievement. Perhaps they had my own benefit in mind, anticipating what I would face.

Only days before, my older sister had gone out on full deployment with the Lifewardens. But there I was, entirely unable to make a choice. Both options presented frightful unknowns. Resign myself to a normal, sheltered life, or make the contract and become a magical girl, fighting for humanity.

It was a question that would haunt me for a year.

* * *

Light stabbed in through the uncovered window. I wished that it would stop and leave me in peace, but the sunbeams continued to tickle my closed eyelids. I drowsily rolled over, attempting to ignore the sun.

However, the attempt was pointless. I had woken up; it would be rather futile trying to get back to sleep once again. Especially if it was the time that I thought it was.

My eyes checked the time on the clock. Before quickly turning away from the nightstand, I could see that it was eight o'clock. It was time to face my day.

Reluctantly, I shoved the blankets off of myself and sat upwards. I rubbed my eyes and scanned the room, checking to see that everything was in order. It was. I clambered out of bed and over to my sink, which located in front of the window guilty of waking me. It was an oddity I suppose, but such strange luxuries could be afforded given my birthright. My white nightgown swished with my every step.

I approached my destination and paused to survey the city. The grandness of it all always amazed me, despite the fact that I had seen the sight most days of my life. Hundreds of feet below, I could barely see the people bustling about on the streets. I was like a queen looking down upon my subjects. But I was no queen, and I had no subjects. The hundreds of people looked like an army of ants from my height. The apartments I lived in for much of my life were located some eight hundred or so feet off the ground.

I turned my gaze to my immediate surroundings, and looked down at the small sink and cabinets beneath me. I reached down and retrieved my comb from the neatly arranged row of tools I needed in the morning. I began to straighten my hair. Braiding it had never been something I enjoyed, despite the amount of it. I slowly ran my fine comb through the silver-white mess that was my hair in the morning. It reached down to about the middle of my back, and I could see the light shining off the strands as they moved.

I stared out the window as my arms began to work based on muscle memory. I scanned my eyes over the other skyscrapers surrounding the one I was in. Dozens of them stretched out for kilometers around the one I resided in, before the skyline dropped hundreds, sometimes thousands, of meters to the lower rooftops of the manufactorum and economical districts.

A brief glance took me over the manufactorum districts. Truly a blotch on the otherwise pristine gem of a city, I didn't think about them too long or hard. I could care less about those who worked there and lived there lives around such places. It was just the way the cards had fallen.

My train of thought derailed as I realized I'd been idly stroking my hair with the hairbrush for at least a few seconds now. I ceased, putting it down hurriedly. It was a tendency of mine to get wrapped up in the world around me. Hastening to grab my toothbrush before my mind could get started again, I started on my mouth.

I started to clean my teeth, then proceeded to forget about that activity as I gazed out at the starport in the distance. I continued to move the bristles along my rather clean teeth, but my mind was as usual not entirely present. Sometimes I wished I could just split up my mind, make myself focus on different things at the same time. Things would be easier that way.

There was a massive amount of traffic coming in and out of the starport, but there always was. Heraklion was a major city on a major planet. Perhaps the most major planet in the Segmentum. Most of the shipments to the Lifewardens went straight to the Fortress of Hera, far out in the mountains. That meant that most of the traffic coming into Heraklion was destined to deliver goods to the city, or have those goods shipped elsewhere on the planet.

The flow of ships was not a single, continuous stream. Rather, it was a chaotic arrangement of groups of ships leaving and departing. As soon as the airspace was clear, and the cargo bays unloaded, the ship would leave. And as soon as the space on the spaceport was open, a ship would land. It was the center of most cities, and despite the fact that Heraklion was very different from most, it still maintained the fact that the spaceport was the nexus for the entire city.

I thought it to be a truly amazing sight, like seeing the circulatory system of a human in function. However, I had never had the chance to visit it. Even though I was who I was, I had never been offworld. I knew I would eventually, but not for another dozen years, at least. That was only thanks to my father. I was indeed luckier than most. Almost all of the population would never see the wonders of another planet. None of them would have the memory of stepping onto a planet that was, to them, completely alien.

Supposedly, spaceflight had begun millennia ago, before the Heresy, the Great Crusade, Old Night, the Golden Age, back in an era we didn't have a name for. That was what I read in the more speculative texts I was allowed. Not a single record existed from that time, only Her Holy Majesty knew of what occurred then, for she has and always will be.

However, she sat far away in a state where none could speak to her. Though it may have been a foolish hope, I sought to live till the time she walked again, and drove back the darkness forever. My hand froze, as my mind thought about the true possibility of such a day.

What would it be like? I thought, will I wake up one day and hear she has returned? Will it be in our darkest hour? The moment of our greatest victory? A shiver ran through my body. Unknowingly, the toothpaste had dripped from my mouth, and I barely caught it before it hit the ground.

The rest was spat in the sink as I turned my attention back to the spaceport. I wondered what those hundreds of millions thought, about never getting to leave the city where they lived, much less the planet.

It was no fault of our own, that was for certain. I doubt the Goddess, or anyone, would allow such a thing in a better time. But now was not a better time, now was the time of the entire universe trying to kill humanity.

It's not our fault we're superior.

My view panned upwards, revealing a trio of bright points shooting through the early morning sky. They resembled shooting stars, but were a bit slower, and weren't moving quit like them. From their height and distance from the rest, they were headed out into the mountains. So they were of the Lifewardens, headed out to the Fortress of Hera.

Like the shooting stars they resembled, the group shot through the sky quickly. They were already decelerating to make a landing actually feasible. My eyes followed them as far as they would go, before they disappeared from my view.

They reminded me of what my life was to become. At that time, it was not my choice, so it was a rather unpleasant reminder. I stood idly and stared thoughtfully at the horizon for another minute.

I suddenly realized I had long since finished the brushing of my teeth. I quickly placed the brush back on the counter and picked up a glass. I held it to the sink and filled it to the brim with water. I carefully, held the glass to my lips and tipped it forwards, allowing the clear liquid into my mouth. It was cool and tasted fresh, as if it was straight from a mountain spring.

In all honesty, it most likely was. When you're a man like my father, you can certainly afford some luxuries. My eyes went in the direction of the mountains it probably came from, catching one of the more impressive sights in the city.

The fort was located in the hills to the north of the city, with the first lines of walls starting almost a kilometer from the fortress proper. Incrementally, the height of the barriers rose until they came to be about two-hundred fifty feet tall. The part that amazed me the most was the fact that it was all crewed by about ten Knights. Most of the occupants were normal humans.

The wonders of the Imperium never ceased to amaze me. But the sight of the fortress, which I knew to be named Fortrezza Heraklion, only reminded me of the future I did not want. My gaze lingered on it, but I wished I could find a way to tear myself away before the future came surging up to me.

I took a few more sips of water before I felt my usual morning headache come on. I reached down with my left hand and retrieved a bottle of pills. I placed my glass on the counter and opened up the container. I allowed two of the dark greenish cylinders to fall onto my hand.

Headaches in the morning were something I couldn't avoid for whatever reason. Fortunately, with the kind of painkiller we could afford, such a matter was trivial. I placed the two capsules on my tongue and washed them down my throat with a sip of water.

After a minute, the pain was already beginning to recede. I turned about and faced my dresser, on the other side of the room. I reached behind me and put my glass of water down once more. I strode across my spacious room to my equally impressive dresser.

I removed my nightgown and placed it in the drawer specifically for used clothes. I quickly moved to my next destination, as I hated feeling exposed.

I walked into the room to the side of mine, where I had my own shower and bath. I would then proceed to take my morning shower. The details of which I shall refrain from sharing for the sake of importance and my own privacy.

When I finished, I stepped out of the shower and quickly dried myself. When I finished with that task I surveyed the clothes which I had laid out the night before. I judged that I had chosen wisely and began to dress myself.

I threw on a white gown which stretched to my ankles, and over my torso I added a jacket, which happened to be the same shade of white. I kept my hair the way it was, long and straight.

I had already laid out my clothes the night before, so these tasks were trivial. I had even chosen my shoes for the day, but only after much deliberation. Back then, it was one of my biggest challenges. I slipped on the pair of black heels, and was satisfied.

I looked myself over and decided that I was prepared for the day. Except for one thing, I thought. I plucked a white, wide-brimmed hat from its hanger. Placing on my head, I found that I was now satisfied.

I was just walking away when I realized I'd forgotten something else. The expected shouts of my mother already ringing in my ears, I ran quickly to retrieve the bag that sad beside my bed. It contained but a few of the many books I owned thanks to the graces of my family.

They were of different subjects, but all were non-fictional. Topics of science, history, mathematics, and I knew of some books penned by members of the Mage Knights that were in fact true stories. I had a few, sitting amongst the other piles of books. They weren't very hard to obtain, seeing as how they were made on the same planet I stood on.

I sometimes felt during my reading that such things weren't entirely accurate to the truth. Enjoyment was what they had been written for. I didn't desire enjoyment. Learning was what I wanted.

With the bag in hand, I exited my bedroom, walking down the hall to the exit from my 'room' itself.

The word room is rather unfitting to describe my living space. My room and its attachment contain my bed, a personal toilet and bath, several bookshelves, and a large dining table. So more like my personal apartments. That is a fitting term.

I spent the next half a minute slowly walking down the length of my apartments, taking time to gaze out each window as I passed it. I always arranged my curtains so that each window allowed a different amount of sunlight in.

When I'd first arranged them some time ago, it had gotten me thinking. What if I wanted to be some sort of designer or artist? The fashion industry was very profitable amongst the nobles of Macragge and the other rich worlds around it.

But my parents would never allow it. Indeed, I had a chosen path, and it was apparently my duty to stick to it. Even though it was not my choice.

As I admired the curtains, I unfortunately found my gaze drifting to a place I preferred to stray my view away from. For miles and miles, even larger than the fortress I saw from my bedroom window, stretched the largest building I had ever seen in my life. I stopped walking, my heart filling to the brim with emotions I didn't want.

It was the Museo di il Vita Sfera. I had little idea what language the name was in, but the place supposedly stretched all the way back to before the Heresy. I always assumed it was some long-dead language, lost to the inexorable advance of time.

The Museo was beautiful, even from miles and miles away. Reaching five floors high, and with over a dozen massive wings, the place compiled ten thousand years of the Vita Sfera's history. Most of it was focused on the Lifewardens, and what they had done.

I did wonder if other chapters had similar monuments, but I doubted I'd ever get the chance to visit those far off places, even if I was forced into the role I didn't want, but I digress. If the other chapters did have such amazing places, then I would have liked to see them.

Truly, the greatest sin of mine is the sin of curiosity. It's why I adored the place. Time and time again I went there, till the human and magical girl auxiliaries knew me by name, and I knew them by name. Though I tried to go once every couple of weeks, finding a gap to convince my mother to take me in between barrages of tutoring, lessons, and study was usually rather difficult. I had only scratched the surface of what the museum had to offer.

It was a massive project, recording the known history of the Vita Sfera, especially the knight chapter that called it home. Battle after battle of the mage knights was enshrined there, in the form of the artworks, recollections, and trophies of the conflicts. It was a treasure to be preserved.

These days, every time I was there, I wondered if I would ever find myself there. As a statue, I mean but…It…it was hard to think about. I rarely dwelt on it for long, but whenever I did, I had to tear myself away from anything else.

My thoughts continued in this hopeless spiral for some time. Even when I reached the door I simply leaned back against it, deep in thought. Will I be able to convince mother that I don't have to do what she wants. But father wants it to, so I doubt I can make anything work.

Eventually, I snapped myself out and turned around; grabbing the handle of one of the two doors into my chambers. I swung it open with some effort. It looked heavy but was actually not very difficult to move.

I stepped out into the rooms beyond, sighing as I knew that I would have to face many things that I would not particularly want to face. As I opened the door, the air was suddenly filled with the cacophony of sounds from throughout the suites our family lived in. I could hear my mother ordering the servants about, telling them to pack this and that. I picked out of the general shouting an order to find me.

I expected this, as I probably hadn't woken up at the time mother would have liked. But I cared not for her complaints, heading towards the dining room in the middle level. The place was practically its own mansion, just located in a large skyscraper. We lived here for half the year, fall and winter, but springs and summers were always spent in a mansion in the mountains. Tomorrow was the day we were to leave. It was also an important day for me.

I sat down at the table in the large dining hall, a plate already placed there for me. The food was a bit cool, but I didn't mind enough to do anything about it. My mother stormed in a few seconds later. "Vergiana!" she shouted, "Where have you been?! It is eight-thirty!"

She wasn't angry, I could tell that. But she was displeased and would probably be "disappointed" in me. Or something like that. I at least knew she'd insist she wasn't angry at all, instead 'annoyed'. "I know that, mother," I sighed.

I took a seat at the table and placed my plate down in front of me. I put my bag of books on the chair beside me and began to dig into my breakfast.

My mother began to go on some rant about how I should be awake earlier and more prepared and other such things. I proceeded to completely ignore her. However, she did not care for such behavior.

"Vergiana! Pay attention to me when I speak!" she commanded. I moved my eyes up from my food and mockingly threw a salute at her. I took the moment to get a good glance at my mother's chosen attire. Today, she chose to wear a bright purple formal gown. She liked such attire. I had guesses as to why, but it would be a significant digression.

"Vergiana!" My mother was correct in that it was my name. "Vergiana, that was rude and you know it!" Yes, mother, I know my name is Vergiana. Was the first thought that sprung to mind, but I refrained from voicing it.

Instead, I stated "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit tired, that's all." It was true. I was still somewhat drowsy, and I had no time to get acclimated to the day yet.

"Well then, maybe you would be less tired if you didn't stay up all night studying!" my mother declared. I had stayed up, but I had not studied. There was some type of sword I had just found an interesting book on. A strange curved weapon, with a name hailing from yet another dead language.

But of course, I didn't tell this to my mother, I just complained, "I was studying! What's wrong with that?"

"You wouldn't have to study so much if you paid attention to your tutors."

I was forced to agree on that point. So I said, and I apologize for the hyperbole, for the hundredth time, "Alright, I'm sorry that I'm not paying attention, I promise to do so in the future." I did my best to make my voice sound sincere without actually having to feel sincere.

My mother took a long look at me, "I know that you're lying, and you'll as little attention next time as you did the last," she smiled, "but I know that you are driven in other areas, so I'll let it slide." She took a seat across the table from me and leaned back in the chair.

I shrugged. The motion was entirely obvious to my mother's eyes, but that was my intention after all. I sat there with complete and utter disregard for whatever my mother thought plastered onto my face. It was most certainly a challenge.

However, years of this sort of thing from me had taught the woman to never even consider biting at the substantial and incessant bait. I continued eating, glancing at the book beside me as well. My mother just seemed to be thinking, and I didn't both asking what.

It wasn't that I hated the woman. That emotion wasn't something I felt towards anyone. She was my mother, and in the end, hate wouldn't get me anywhere.

"Do you want something from me?" She asked suddenly. I almost jumped at the suddenness of it, having been wrapped up in my own mind. "You're acting like you usually do when you desire something."

I made to shake my head, but stopped halfway through the motion. My head rocked back and forth, as I considered asking the question. "Can we go to the Museo today?" I finally asked.

"Once again?" I swore she sighed, though it masterfully slipped under my observation. I nodded happily. She hadn't straight up refused, which usually meant that she would agree with whatever I asked.

As soon as I confirmed that, she could only stand up, stretching her arms out. "I suppose once before we leave tomorrow." She walked away, mumbling a few things to herself before calling back. "In an hour, alright? Then you need to get back to studying."

I knew that last part was coming, but was still pleased with the fact that we were going. The hour slipped by quickly, and it wasn't soon after that before we were on the short drive there.

I did bring a few of my books, but I found that in recent times it was harder to stay focused on them during a drive. Too often I'd just doze off, looking out the window and thinking. Not that was necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes I felt I'd run out of time to get anything read.

Today, I couldn't help but stare at the city around me. More and more I did that, always finding some new crisis to obsess over. Today my mind wandered onto the stories people like my father brought back with him. A few times, at parties I'd been dragged along too, I'd listened in on conversations with his peers, rather than spend the time with girls my age.

They spoke of worlds beyond the Vita Sfera, within the normal Imperium of Mankind. Sometimes, I regretted staying to listen to those tales. Worlds beyond imagining, with incredible cruelty and tyranny, run by the maddest of dictators. I couldn't understand how such things were possible.

Increasingly, I saw why the Sfera was the Jewel of the East. It was hard to imagine how people lived on those other, distant worlds. They must have been frightening places. Here on Macragge, I felt entirely safe. It was a fact that I could rest safely at night. The world was policed by magical girls. There wasn't any way crime could slip past their vigilance. It was simply shown by the rates, practically nothing happened that I heard of.

There was always the occasional rumor, started by groups and in circles less than trustworthy, that certain crimes were allowed to occur. Perhaps there was some merit to the idea, as the occasional robbery or assault did occur. But not everything could be stopped.

Of course, their ideas were even further discredited by their 'justification' for the theory, that this was all somehow part of some recruitment system for magical girls. I didn't see why one would contract because of a robbery, but that was another story entirely.

I shook my head, the motion slipping under the gaze of my mother. I didn't want to consider this anymore. I didn't want to think about the future. Even as I looked out the window, I felt as if the world was staring back towards me. Like every eye was turned towards me, waiting for that decision.

Crying wasn't an option. The last thing I needed was my mother talking to me. I still turned myself away, looking out the window. That motion along had to be suspicious, but I didn't want to betray weakness. Another set of lectures about bravery, and how I had to be a strong girl, would be inevitably brought forth if my mother had seen.

I stayed that way till the museum, frozen in fear of practically everything. The least I could do was try to cheer myself up. Try to face that which paralyzed with me such utter terror.

* * *

It rose a hundred feet into the air, higher than the museum itself. Painted in magnificent colors, supposedly perfectly matching the real hues. It was a work of art to surpass anything else I'd seen. I spent more time than most staring at it, feeling completely blown away by the wonder of the piece.

It was the girl who had made the Vita Sfera. I don't know what about the piece indicated its youth. It was never something I could place. Perhaps it was the face. For all but that one aspect of it could have been that of a woman, without any other statue to judge it by.

But that face said that the girl there was perhaps around fifteen years old. The statue's right arm brandished a musket towards the sky, the fingers on the arm's hand maintaining proper trigger discipline. Its left arm was extended to the other side, gesturing as though she sought applause from an audience.

The emotion in her face was indescribably real. Ice-cold determination and seriousness were what one first saw, combined with an aura of authority and command. Looking beyond that, however, it was easy to see the true visage of the statue. A kind, compassionate girl, who looked as though she could talk a demon out of killing.

A beret sat atop her golden yellow hair, which was curled into drills. Upon that beret was born the gem that signified her status. The white tassel and yellow ribbon that trailed from her hair were little details that everyone knew well.

As much as I worried about my place in the future, I could rest safely knowing I'd never bear as much responsibility as this girl. Mami Tomoe. The Primarch of the Lifewardens. Just thinking roused my heart, before my mind wandered to the fact that I could see her today.

If only I were to contract. She still sat today, between life and death, in the Fortress of Hera. Supposedly in a temple so massive that only Holy Terra's edifices equaled it, yet sealed to all but magical girls. I felt twangs of jealousy I would never admit to feeling, for if I did, it would only be construed as more incentive to accept the contract.

I whispered a quiet prayer to the Goddess, then to the Primarch whose depiction I stood before. She stood atop the front steps of the Museo. Lined up on either side were depictions of the original captains of the Lifewardens Legion. There were enough for the steps to reach very high up.

I always went ahead of my mother. I knew my way around the Museo, and it wasn't like there was any danger in the place with a magical girl around every corner. Half the reason I came here was to find privacy in a way besides cooping myself up in my room.

Privacy at least from my mother. No matter where I went, there was only so much seclusion I had. Perhaps it was merely anxiety on my part. Still, it didn't make the emotion any less real. I continued forwards into the Museo, open to anyone at for most hours of the day. It was constructed out of the massive coffers of the Lifewardens, so there wasn't any need for admission fees. The huge entrance hall was a sight many were stopped to see.

For me, it was an afterthought. There were still entire wings that I had yet to make my way through. From what I heard, materials had been brought from across the Imperium to craft that grand entrance, but I'd seen it enough times. The Primarch's statue was the one object that consistently held my attention.

It might have been that the shouts of my mother were lost amidst the ambience of the hundreds inside, but I doubt she would have worried about me. She knew me well enough.

Within the center of the Museo sat one of the more impressive things about the structure. Miles and miles of statures, and empty spaces for one. The Court of Captains contained a depiction of every single captain in the history of the chapter, even stretching back to the days of the heresy.

It had used to be one of my favorite things to see. These days, I avoided it like a sickness. Unfortunately, passing by it was one of the more efficient ways to reach various other destinations.

Despite the unhappiness this place sometimes brought me, my desire to see all that was within it sat at the same height as the desire to avoid it. And deep down, there was always the hope that coming here would help me overcome the dilemma that I faced.

I was walking alongside the outer edge of the Court. It was a long way to one of the wings I had yet to see, but I was confident that I could make it there without being caught up in my emotions about the place beside me. Though my eyes would sometimes trail to the right, I locked my head in place, stoutly refusing to acknowledge the fear.

Then there was a sound. A sound I couldn't just ignore. I came to a stop. While I regretted it, my head ended up turning to the side. I traced the sound of crying to its source. They were in front of one of the statues, all alone. A boy, a few years older than I. Actually a man, probably in his twenties.

I walked over to him, not saying a word, moving quietly. I knew it was rude, intruding on him like this, but I couldn't help myself. He was in front of a specific statue. I had managed to keep my composure for some time before I caved to this one, so we were about halfway through the Court.

So about the present day. My eyes fell upon the statue of the girl there, and quickly read the name. My eyes recognized that tell-tell phrase beneath it. Mai Solo. I shut my eyes, feeling tears welling in them. Things like this were perhaps the easiest way to bring me to tears.

He noticed me. I stepped back, gasping. "Ah, sorry." I quickly said. Apparently it was done in a way that gave a different picture of me, for his arms went to his side.

A slight bow accompanied his words, "No, milady, it's fine." He addressed me as though as I was a magical girl myself. I shook my head.

"I'm no magical girl." I said, holding up my hands. Of course, the distinctive ring and tattoo were missing.

"Oh, still thinking, then?" I confirmed that. He nodded. "I'm sorry."

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, before I nodded to the statue. "Who was she to you?" I asked. She had died recently, based on the date.

"I'm her nephew," he said, "Son of her younger brother." He cracked a bit of a smile. "I come here every now and then." He looked rather sad. I knew that he had to know her personally.

"How often did you see her?"

The man shrugged. "Can't say exactly. She always tried to come visit when she could. Once when I was twelve, she spent the entirety of one of her leaves with me." He smiled at the memory, obviously a fond one. "She cared for me like I was a son to her."

"My sister's out there right now." I said softly. "She's…" My voice trailed off. There wasn't anything more to say. So I made to leave. "Well, I apologize for interrupting you. I should be going now."

"Are you going to contract?" He asked me. It might have been considered rude to ask such a question, but I was the one who'd violated his privacy in the first place.

That stopped me in my tracks. "Only She knows." I replied solemnly, hoping the man wasn't tired of hearing that response from foolish girls like me. With those words, I hurried away. It was safe to say that it was entirely my curiosity that brought me to that man.

Otherwise I'd have strayed as far as I could from such contact. I almost ran the rest of the way before I turned into the new wing. I wiped the tears from my eyes, praying that no one would see me crying like this. Yet crying girls weren't new around here. I probably wouldn't have really been noticed.

* * *

My mother would catch up to me some time later. I was staring at one of the latest works of art from someone who I had understood to be one of the greatest painters in recent history. Currently a Chaplain last I heard, she was hailed as the greatest artistic mind in the Sfera, if not everywhere else.

Once I'd walked towards another one of her paintings to hear a couple girls, obviously magical girls themselves, comparing her to others. Their tones sounded rather harsh. And come to think of it, they, one with pale features and the other with darker skin, didn't look like they came from the Sfera.

I had to agree with the opinion that she was at least among the greatest, as looking at her pieces never ceased to tear my mind away from my own problems. Unfortunately, it always punched holes in my own artistic aspirations. I wouldn't give up simply because someone was better, but it sometimes hurt.

Just the thought of seeing the magical girls there that one day reminded me of someone. Briefly, I considered the possibility of meeting my sister here. Whenever I came, it was something that popped into my mind. But I knew that she'd almost certainly come straight to me if she was on leave.

Her voice echoed in my head. It had been over a year since I last heard it. Over a year since she finished training, and went on full deployment. The last moments of our time together, she'd left with me with words that had defined my life for the past year.

"Find a reason to contract, and stick to it. It'll be better than you might think. Just think long and hard, and I'm sure you'll find the right wish." Albina had told me all that time ago.

I had found what seemed to be the right wish. That wasn't the problem. Then I heard another problem. "Vergiana." My mother's voice was clear to me this time. I looked towards her, perhaps showing too much disdain on my face. She furrowed her eyebrows, stomping towards me. I expected another lecture.

"I'm fine," I started the conversation ahead of time. "There's no need to worry about me." I insisted to her, walking towards her and hoping to move straight past. She just had to step in my way.

The woman glared down at me. "If you've problems to the point where you storm off like that, don't you think you should just speak about them."

I scoffed. "Like that's ever helped me." She was furious now.

"Don't take your emotions out like that, young lady. Your inability to face yourself doesn't give you right to behave like this." She said, refusing to let me by.

I shrugged, "Then punish me." I suggested. I knew she would. But I also knew she'd hate doing so, as she knew I could ultimately care less. She grabbed my hand, dragging me away. I complied, not wanting to make a big scene for my own sake more than hers.

Eventually she let go of me, and I just followed along. I wasn't sure why I'd been trying to dodge the truth for so long now. There wasn't any point but accept it.

* * *

The car was headed back. We were almost there, and I couldn't wait till we were done. Then I could at least say I was going to study, and maybe be ignored. I remembered what tomorrow was, and felt a pang of regret that today had turned out like this.

I'd somehow be reminded of it tomorrow, when I would certainly see my father. Despite his absences, he was always on time for my birthday. I was merely awaiting whatever he would bring me, I wouldn't really mind if he left right after that.

My mother's voice hadn't stopped for a while now, but I'd also been ignoring it for a while now. "-to be honest, I don't think you deserve anything at all tomorrow." There's the bombshell.

I didn't listen to her words. I rarely did anymore. "You're a girl. It's your duty to contract." I heard that one before. "Everyone is expecting the Laurentia family to produce another one, and two in the same generation would be spectacular."

I whipped my head to face her. This was a side of it I'd never heard expressed like this before. I'd heard her vaguely hint to my father that it was more about prestige that me, but never directly. "You…" I gasped, "You don't even care. Does anyone even care about the girl who has to make the contract? Or do you just think about how popular it'll make you?"

The woman reacted as though she'd accidentally let that slip. Perhaps she really had. "You're more than that, Vergiana. It's not just that." She was still my mother, and I wasn't going to just call her a liar with every word out of her mouth. "You're expected to contract, Vergiana. You're a teenage girl, what else are we supposed to see you as?"

My eyes went blank. In that second, I think I lost all sense of the world. We both went silent, the two of us understanding what had just been said, and what it really meant. It was the truth I'd tried to make myself realize.

Girls like myself were expected to contract until it was confirmed they had no potential or went over the age limit. Until then, I was seen as someone who would eventually contract. And since my potential had been confirmed, my hand was even more forced. Like so many things, I couldn't have said that I hated it. Because I didn't. It was my duty. Why try to deny that?

My eyes couldn't tear themselves from the clock. It sat right beside on my nightstand, bright red numbers ticking away as the minutes passed by. If I felt daring enough, I'd flick my gaze away to what sat beside it. Every day, I did my best to avoid looking at it.

It reminded me of the person who I was certain I would somehow fail. Because it was a portrait of that person, her smiling face beside mine. Beautifully painted, but small enough to fit on a small table. Truly something worth calling a masterpiece.

I hate to sound all melodramatic, but it wasn't easy looking at it. I kept it there to try and remind me of the words with which she parted from me. But as much as she knew me, she didn't know me well enough. Only a few days after she left had this all really begun.

Hastily, I had accomplished her wish. I found something I wanted. What had followed was the long painful battle to make a choice. A choice I still hadn't made, even as the clock neared midnight.

Quietly, I slipped down from my bed. Bare feet carried me over to the window. My hands pressed against the glass, eyes staring up at the stars. Brightly they flickered, despite the lights that polluted the sky. I could still make them out. Even if I did contract, I could never see every single one of them.

Even if I did contract, I doubted I could ever have what I wanted. I doubted that my curiosity knew reasonable bounds. It wasn't an expectation of mine to know the origin of the Goddess, nor to know of how the universe came to be. That knowledge belonged to a realm above my own.

But for a girl that wanted to know every secret of the universe save for a few, I didn't think there was anywhere to go. Even then, the thought of actually grasping such knowledge was terrifying. Going out to those stars that I wanted to see scared me.

I wasn't a coward. Cowards are afraid of everything without any distinction. Now was I fool, who just couldn't make a choice. In reality, the intelligence I possessed was more than I should have. It would have been better if I didn't understand that I knew nothing about what the world beyond my own was like.

For all I knew, I'd never get anything I wanted if I were to contract. But I had a desire. And that was all I needed, assuming that my dear sister wasn't lying to me. It wasn't in my heart to assume that about her, so I choose to believe that I was ready to contract.

All I needed to do was make the choice. Either a sheltered life as a normal human, where I'd get only a fraction of what I desired, or a life as a magical girl, where I might be able to obtain what I wanted. That was just a might, and who but the Goddess could say how it would come to an end.

Here, I'd at least have the assurance that it would be quick or painless, but out there, I had no idea how my life might come to an end. It was trees of thought like this that held me back, keeping me endlessly wrapped up in scary thoughts as I struggled to contemplate questions that shouldn't have been forced upon me.

My hands slid down the cold glass as I collapsed to my knees. Downwards turned, my eyes looked down at the streets, now mostly devoid of any travelers. The lids of my eyes were locked open, as I tried to force myself to accept it.

Tomorrow was my birthday. The fourteenth. The first since I was informed a year ago of my potential. That day was when my life had become what it is now. A maze that I had already navigated when it came before me, but with two options for an exit.

Theoretically, I had already 'won' the battle of my adolescence, I understood what my options were. There was a plan in my mind for both. The terror I felt came from the fact that I knew not what either path would lead me to. With what I could gather, staying normal could get me just as much as leaving. Perhaps I was to die in my first battle. And even if I did contract, there wouldn't be any chance to use the knowledge I'd gained.

"Tomorrow." I whispered. Half of me tried to hold back the half that spoke the words. "I will contract. I will find the bravery. I promise you, Albina. I'll find the right wish to make."

My head whipped round to look at my bed over my shoulder. I'd felt something staring at me. If anything had been there, it was gone now. But I knew exactly what had been there.

Shortly afterwards, I would fall into my bed, too tired to stay awake any longer. Wrapped up in the sheets, I'd stare at the clock for a few minutes more. Just a couple minutes before it struck midnight, I'd closed my eyes for good.

(End Chapter 1 of record)

* * *

Vita Sfera: The Vita Sfera consists of the eleven worlds under the control of the Lifewardens Chapter of the Adeptus Magica. The name was originally coined by the Primarch of the Lifewardens, Her Ladyship Tomoe. Well-known for the fact that it is administrated almost entirely by magical girls, a unique fact save for the other Chapter Worlds and the few other special worlds controlled by the Adeptus Magica, and quite isolated in terms of immigration from the rest of the Imperium. A veritable fortress island amongst the chaotic eastern reaches of the Galaxy.

-Excerpt from the Encyclopedia Magica

Note: This was probably a terrible opening. I promise it'll pick up in the next few chapters. Things should never actually get this slow again. Unless this wasn't as boring as I feared it might be. I should also note that I won't really rehash the world-building points made in the other story, but since that one's all about the Inquisition, it won't really matter too much till later, as this one's about the Mage Knights.

* * *

 **Update should come sometime in the next few days.**


	2. A Life of Battle

**This chapter introduces the second of the three viewpoints within the story.**

* * *

The current containment war is going well. Two more companies had to pull out last week, along with another five regiments of the Army, but we've restored the borders to the originals. We expect the Tau to be set back about three or four years by their losses in this conflict. I request permission to strike into the Tau Sphere. I've decided to leave it up to you. My company has been rearranged to about full strength, and unless it takes losses here, it will be ready for such an action. The plan for the operation is attached to the message.

The Tau fleet was shattered at Moesia, so this might be the only chance we have for a deep strike of this kind. Ultimately, however, it's up to you. I won't act without confirmation, so there is no need to worry about rash action. Attached is the full order of battle for the current force. By the time you receive this message, there should only be hours left in the war for Nicomedia. The Goddess Protects.

Message from Captain Laia Placidia, Lifewardens 4th Company, Commander for the Seventh War of Tau Containment, to Alaria Caligula, Lifewardens Chapter Master. M41.451

* * *

The world was but a murky haze through her eyes. Occasionally, it rumbled. Sounds that should have been loud were muted in her ears. The girl gasped for breath, clutching at her chest as she shot awake. She looked around, breathing rapidly. As soon as her eyes recognized the room, she calmed herself.

 _Sleep well?_ A voice called, besides the single entrance to the room. The ground shook once again, silt dislodging itself from the ceiling. Meryet swung her legs from the cot, quietly replying.

 _It was fine._ She remarked. _Everybody healed?_ The girl at the door nodded. The armored figure, her suit dominantly black but with white outlines, marched up the steps quickly, Meryet hurrying after her. Both of their armors bore a cross, with a pair of black wings stretching out from it, on their shoulders. Coming to the top of the steps, Meryet emerged into a place that resembled some concepts of hell.

The world shook once again, blue bolts streaking through the smog-choked sky. Bright flashes were followed by trails of smoke, plumes of flame rising from behind. The dead were scattered throughout the streets. Bodies clad in armor of earthen shades, bulky suits of bright color, and everyday clothing shared the same space.

All manner of wounds had killed them. Again, the ground rumbled, explosions touching off as another wave of flashes shot through the sky, coming from both directions. The city was being blown apart. With every crump of artillery, every shriek of a missile, more rubble piled up.

The sky above was filled with more than just projectiles flung by distant batteries. Distinct, large shapes raced through the clouds, twisting and curving around each other, loosing bright streams of gunfire and bright points that were missiles. Sometimes, one of these dueling birds of prey crashed to the earth, plummeting from the sky on a carpet of fire.

 _Blood Angels started another offensive, the Vostroyans are behind them this time. Already broken through the main line in Beiling._ The sergeant explained. Meryet could have discovered that all from merely listening to the telepathic network, but it was good hearing it directly.

The girl tapped into that expansive system, instantly being allocated her orders, and seeing all knowledge available for her current location. _Behind enemy lines?_ She asked, almost laughing.

 _Yes. The Janissaries up at the hill retreated an hour ago, the enemy swept forwards. Nebet's kept us safe, but their Pathfinder teams are sweeping the area as we speak._ Meryet's sergeant, Tentheta, was the one talking at the moment. They stood inside a bombed out building, having emerged from its basement.

Meryet pulled her weapon from her back into her hands, fingers running over the grip and trigger over and over again. _All we have to do is find it and kill it?_ She questioned.

A pair of girls dropped down from above as Tentheta said, _indeed. Clairvoyants found the enemy cadre leader with the ethereal. Just broke through the bugs' interdiction. From what I understand, the hole made was small enough so it won't be noticed, and they pulled right out. We're going in blind, but if we kill both, this sector is ours._

Meryet nodded. _When do we move?_ She asked.

 _Right now._ Tentheta replied, turning to face the other two. However, all four instantly turned to the side. Without even thinking, Meryet's weapon was raised. The bolter looked oversized, almost comically so, in the hands of the girls. With bright gold plating and embellishments of multi-colored gems, the weapon looked like it was ceremonial, almost useless.

Yet every knight hefted it with ease, like it weighed barely anything at all. In the time it would take for a human to merely raise their weapon, she'd already aimed it and fired. The barking sound of the gun sent a rocket-propelled high explosive slug across the street and streaking through a broken window.

The other three girls had done the same. A second shot had been fired by all four. Four bursts of blood and brain exploded through the building as the xenos died, their helmets and heads blasted apart. The second shot had followed the same path as the first.

In unison, the four leapt upwards, flipping about in midair to reach what little remained of the roof. Six other girls stood up there. _They made us._ Tentheta said, _But we have a confirmed bead on the target. Let's do this in five minutes._ She ordered, _the main line is a mile behind us, it'll take time to pull back the necessary battlesuits._

They leapt in the direction of the enemy artillery, adjusting themselves in midair to adapt a tight v-shaped formation. Almost instantly, blue bursts of plasma buzzed through the smog. The formation was just small enough so that the shield generated by the leader was enough to cover them all.

The plasma did nothing at all. Meryet kept her eyes focused forwards, her left hand uneasily messing with her weapon. Anxiety crept up on her mind, but focused on the telepathic network again, blocking out the feeling. She wasn't scared, just tense.

A pair of Barracuda attack craft were shifting in towards their location. Meryet silently wished them luck, knowing that it wouldn't help them. The shapes already prowled low through the air, like the fish they were named for. Clusters of rockets dropped from their underbellies, all curving in towards the group of magical girls, currently unhindered by any other factors.

The ten girls opened fire instantly, bolts tearing through the swarm. A single girl put down her weapon, letting it hang by its holster, extending her arms. Multiple symbols of complex lines and shapes appeared before her, then flashed bright, shattering into a million different points.

Forming from nowhere, a straight wall of bronze light appeared, before disintegrating into a hundred beams of light that shot forwards. The Barracuda pilots had but a split second to react before they had to dodge away. The beams destroyed the remaining rockets, the craft scratched by the volley.

Two girls were already reacting, letting their main guns hang as they shifted to an alternate weapon. One summoned a missile launcher into her hands, while the other held up the barrel of a large cannon, both flipping about in the air to track the enemy, but still maintaining the formation. Meryet raised her gun to take advantage of whatever opening she could find against the myriad enemies trying to shoot her and her companions down.

The two girls fired. A swarm of missiles hounded one Barracuda, refusing to fall for any countermeasure. Eventually they caught up, and the thing retreated with a punished rear. The other craft suffered multiple expertly placed shots from the heavy gun, eventually flying up high to avoid further fire.

The two dissipated their weapons, holding their normal weapons again. It had been a minute since they started moving. Meryet pointed her weapon straight ahead. She was second from the front in the right of the v. The Ethereal was in her sights, about half a mile away.

Her mind linked in with the rest of her squad, every other girl simultaneously confirmed that her angle was good. Despite the interdiction that shut down long-range telepathy and clairvoyance, close-range communication was still possible. The crystalline bugs that were the Tau's allies weren't that good at their jobs.

Slowing herself down, holding her breath, and feeling her eyes activate, Meryet saw every detail on the thing's head. The enemy didn't seem to understand they were coming in. Its confidence was obvious. Blinking quickly, Meryet saw the exact trajectory of her bullet, based on the current information she had about the environment. Shifting it in half a second's time, Meryet fired.

Through her magical eyesight, the girl watched and smiled as the thing's head exploded. But the cadre leader, located in the massive suit beside the blue-skinned creature, was to be a harder target. Accompanied by four other suits, the group opened fire.

Tentheta gave the order to disperse. They all split off on their own, heading out in a random direction. The air was filled with railgun fire a second later. Bright flashes encountered no resistance, anything that could have stopped them had already hit the ground.

Meryet boot's slammed against the ground as she ran, white tails following the missiles that curved through the sky. They fall all around her, not a single one striking directly. They hadn't been locked onto, so there wasn't any worry. Still, a lucky shot from a few could break through even her armor.

The girl dashed into a nearby building, leaping through the ruined structure of it to a window on its second floor. Quakes ran through the structure as the missiles struck the roof. Meryet counted to three, then leapt straight out the window, soaring into the air.

As the rifle's sights came before her eyes once again, she focused in. A battlesuit leapt through the air on jets of fire, the barrels of its weapon spinning as it warmed up. Its trajectory was traced out before Meryet, the exact path of her bullets towards it was clear.

 _On the battlefield, things are much easier. Kill or be killed._ Meryet thought in a split second. She pulled the trigger. _And down the sights of a rifle, things are even easier._

The plasma blaster was ripped apart by the well-placed bullets, before a line of projectiles made its way up the suit's armor as it flew through the air. Meryet continued on her path, her weapon totally stabilized as if there wasn't any recoil at all.

Suddenly the trail stopped, two more shots coming in right under the shoulder-mounted missile launcher. The final shot pierced metal and flesh, detonating in the rear portion of the armor. With a tearing of metal and flesh, the suit's arm came off, right before a bright ball of flame consumed half the thing's body as the ammunition was pierced. It wasn't a particularly strong suit, a standard infantry-model.

Meryet was already turning away as the suit fell back to the ground. Her eyes suddenly revealed to her the half a dozen lines of fire she was exposed to. She merely curved her mouth upwards in a grin, flipped upside down, and kicked downwards.

Her leg sounded with an impact as a railgun blast struck the armor, sending her flying. Meryet caught a glimpse of the swarm of missiles headed towards her, curving all around so as to avoid counter-fire. Bursts of magic all around herself stabilized her, helping her to barely avoid the railgun shots that followed the missiles.

 _Conduct._ Meryet knew what her squadmate meant by that. She felt their minds meld. A second before the missiles hit, there was a flash around Meryet's body. A bolt of lightning struck the magic repulsion field around the armor, already intentionally bending around it, while Meryet took the lightning and helped her comrade repulse it back outwards.

A hundred bolts leapt out in every direction, blowing apart every missile. The explosions tossed Meryet to the ground, but it was her destination anyways. _Thanks._ She called to the electromancer, before moving across the square she found herself in.

The knight reloaded the gun in her hands, deftly sliding in another cartridge as she dashed across the square. Small bursts of magic with every step propelled her forwards, making her movement into more of a quick blur. Meryet stepped to the side as a burst of white-hot heat erupted there, scorching the stone.

From behind her was the sound of a gunship hovering, its fusion blasters making the superheated air hiss. Meryet leapt upwards as another shot came in. The medium-sized craft backed off, retracting its blasters and popping out the missile pods.

Meryet didn't both fighting it, instead pushing herself forwards towards the building at the other end of the square. She crashed in through the windows, leaping around a corner as the missiles swept in. The mage knight was leaping out the other side of the building as it collapsed, hearing news on the network.

 _Drones incoming in three seconds. Battlesuits ten behind them. IFVs and tanks are right behind. Cadre leader has been encircled, but is covered by Broadsides. Multiple gunship squadrons incoming, three minutes out. Wrap this up._ The message took less than a second to be understood, and Meryet was already closing in by the time it ended.

In an intersection of four streets was the enemy unit pinned down. A pair of the heavy bombardment suits were joined by four standard types. A number of small battlesuits joined them, and about two dozen infantrymen were scrambling for cover in the buildings around. The leader's suit was in the middle of the group. They'd be dead, but the powerful shields of the elite Broadsides were protecting them at the moment.

Behind her, Meryet heard the gunship she left behind being taken down. A quick check of the squad's positions confirmed it was their electromancer. Meryet herself slid up to a corner, around which lay their target. She stood up alongside another squad member.

 _Alicia_ , She nodded to the girl. Meryet received a greeting back, briefly peeking around the corner. She knew her comrade was an illusionist, specializing in somehow disrupting the enemy's capacity to see. Meryet got an idea. Not a plan, but an idea.

She stepped back, grabbing Alicia. _Keep them occupied._ She ordered her, spinning hard and tossing the girl around the corner. Despite the armor, a knight was still just a little girl, and the armor was light. Mage knights could lift tanks with some effort and the right application of magic. Sending one of their own flying wasn't very hard.

Straight into enemy fire she flew, right as Meryet slid out, having already locked her gun to her back. She held out her empty hands, a bright red flash signifying the appearance of her bow. Her fingers found the string and pulled back as her eyes zoomed in on the Cadre leader.

Alicia had already thrown out a huge set of magic against the enemy, but it only affected those she selected. To the Tau, the street was now a twisting world of a million different colors. But to her comrades, the street was clear. Meryet opened fire as she leapt forwards. In the air, several more bolts were released. Despite the illusions, the Tau could still fire. Alicia was receiving a beating, as the other knights tried to react to Meryet's recklessness.

But the enemy had moved. There was now a slight gap where the Broadside's shields did not cover the Cadre leader. His own suit had been previously damaged by Meryet's comrades, wounding the shield system. The other arrows had taken down his weakened shield.

Her eyes zoomed in on the optics unit. A single bright red arrow of energy flashed in and ripped apart that with which the enemy saw. Meryet jumped again, as the illusions faded away. Alicia was in trouble. Meryet grabbed her body, dissipating her bow as she reached in for the girl's chest.

 _Let me in,_ she ordered, knowing that this girl would definitely trust her Alicia let go of her body, and a blue sphere was preceded by tendrils of light as Meryet slowly pulled her hand away. She grasped Alicia's gem in her hand, dropping the lifeless body on the ground.

Then Meryet leapt up again, as the enemy struggled to hold out. Her left hand held her bow, while her right still had Alicia's soul. With this, she pulled back the string, blue light from the gem mixing with that of the arrow. As the arrow came all the way back, Meryet flicked the gem away, grasping the projectile all the way, before firing.

Her eyes had found a single tiny damaged spot near the cockpit. The empowered arrow shot down and slammed through. It would have went right into the pilot's right shoulder, not to mention the damage it did to the suit. The thing froze up, wobbled for a second, then toppled over.

Meryet spun around, grabbing Alicia's gem before she went back towards the ground. The Tau, distracted by Meryet and the death of their leader, were easily torn up by the resurging attack. Those who ran were allowed to do so. They wouldn't be a threat.

Meryet landed on the ground right as the first signs of the arriving enemy battlesuits showed up. Missiles started to impact around them, railgun shots ripping up the ground. _Gather on me._ Tentheta ordered, as she and those with her pulled back from the enemy.

Meryet leapt towards her, placing Alicia's gem in a container on her belt. The thing was blackened from keeping the body alive as long as it did, but it went into Meryet's container of spare grief cubes. It would survive just fine.

As Meryet arrived, a teleporter popped in. Clad in the colors of the Lifewardens, she ensured everybody was there. Automatically, the squad mentally linked with her, and were all drawn into the ensuing teleport.

The next thing Meryet knew, she was on a ridge. In an entirely other part of the city. Two miles from her previous destination. _Good luck,_ Tentheta called to the teleporter as she rejoined her unit, blinking away again.

Now, the squad stood within the main base camp for the knight forces. Slipping Alicia's gem from the box, Meryet hurried over to the medical tent, followed by the other members of the squad who needed healing. It wasn't hard for a knight to recover from her wounds, but it was easier and less taxing for a dedicated healer to do it.

The camp wasn't very large. The largest tent was the medical one, and that was because it did not serve only mage knights. The second-largest was the command tent, where the command squads of both companies were gathered. Any clairvoyants and telepaths that were needed were also located there. There were then twenty other tents. They were all small, for one person. Simply there for girls currently off-duty who wanted to rest. Not that such a thing was exactly necessary for a magical girl.

Otherwise, the camp had nothing else in it. An invisibility generator in the command squad of Meryet's company covered the command tent, while another was always kept in the medical tent to conceal what wasn't hidden by the other.

All teleport jumps were made within the field's boundaries, so the Tau had no way to figure it out. Especially because the main Army camp was several hundred feet further down the ridge, there wasn't any reason to fire at what seemed to be nothing. The xenos also had not the artillery to spare on guessing where their enemy was.

Meryet strode into the largest tent, seeing multiple unmoving bodies lying on the cots present. The bodies had suffered massive damage, but even then it was not a necessity to go immobile. Theoretically, a magical girl could keep moving even after losing her major body functions.

However, they were not the focus of the apothecaries and healers within. The tent was so large because the most intensive cases from the Army were immediately sent here. Loud screams echoed through the room, as the girls rushed around handling each of the cases.

Meryet felt a shiver pass through her body as her eyes passed over the bloody messes lying on the sheets. Magic put them back together easily again, but there wasn't any way to save one who was already dead. However, those who did survive were quickly ushered out, sent back to the Army camp.

A teleporter was specifically assigned to the medical tent for this purpose, and even as Meryet's squad, the 6th in her company, arrived back, humans were being teleported out in groups.

Meryet didn't bother disrupting the healers in their work, so she found an empty cote, put down her own box of grief cubes, and placed Alicia's gem there. _Non-vital,_ Meryet emphasized, _off-duty, let her take her time_. She received confirmation from the healers, then hurried out.

 _Good luck with the sergeant._ Her own company's apothecary called, as if the lack of any body to accompany the soul gem was standard.

Meryet nodded, smiling a little. Her helmet dissipated, and she evened out her dark hair with her hands. _I shouldn't need it._ She started walking out of the tent. No one else was entering that way. In the rear of the tent, shouts and moans rose up as fresh human casualties were teleported directly in. _Tell me when Alicia's up, I expect she'll give me more than the sergeant._

Lining up perfectly with what Meryet expected, the sergeant stood by the tent, matching pace with the girl as she left. _Throwing your comrades at the enemy isn't recommended._ The girl said. It's not just that telepathy was faster. In the sake of efficiency, any control over the jaw was cut off during battle. And since this was the frontline, it wouldn't be put back on anytime soon.

Meryet set her destination towards a higher point near the edge of the camp. _It worked._ Meryet said, _You can't deny that._

 _At least try to recover the body_. Tentheta requested. _I know you wouldn't do something to get someone else killed, but the armor still matters as well._ Meryet nodded. The two walked together through relatively clear camp. No one was running about and the loudest noises were from the battle miles away and the artillery a few hundred feet down the ridgeline. It wasn't hard to keep things quiet and orderly when one could speak instantly with their comrades, and stay constantly linked into a network that spanned the entire planet.

Of course, there was always the steady shots and blinding flashes from the multiple sniper teams scattered about, firing shots that traveled miles. It wasn't difficult when they were specialized for the task. Steps from the side signaled another arrival. Meryet knew what was coming as soon as she saw Lucine run up, a sniper rifle in her hands. _May I?_ she asked, walking alongside the two.

The sergeant nodded. _Sure. Don't waste any magic, though._ The dark-haired girl nodded, before Tentheta stopped, and spun around. _Going to see the captain in person. Unless things change, we're back on in twelve hours._ That meant the dark. _Don't sleep, though, things will probably change._ She walked quickly away.

Meryet started up again immediately, her squad mate bouncing alongside her. _You seem annoyed._ The girl observed with concern.

 _I am._ Meryet replied. _You know why._ The two walked casually through the camp, as if it was a perfectly normal day in a perfectly safe place.

Meryet reached the spot she'd selected, just in between the camp proper and the lines of artillery. It was a little mound of dirt, fairly obviously natural. A sigh emanated from the girl's mouth as her eyes scanned over the ongoing conflict.

It was easy to tell where the knights were. While the average battle would raise clouds of dust and debris, sometimes some fiery explosions, the attack of just a squad of knights would be a fantastic array of bright flashes and huge detonations.

Meryet could see the groups moving throughout the city, tearing through the already demoralized Tau forces. The knight's own unit would still be out there, but they'd used up enough magic for one day. No sense in wasting any.

Looking into the overall network, Meryet could see that the battle was effectively won. In exactly two minutes and thirty-eight seconds, half of the Lifewardens 5th Company would redeploy by drop pod to the south of the city, encircling the enemy within. From there, it would be a good old-fashioned massacre. The Tau had been swept into the southern hemisphere of the formerly Imperial world, running hard and fast from the liberation. But with orbital superiority achieved, it was now just a matter of hunting down the remnants.

While she had stood there, Lucine was on one knee, preparing the large weapon. A bright light flashed over the thing. When the wave was gone, the thing was embellished with gold and jewels, seemingly just made fancier. It wasn't her summoned weapon. She loved to snipe, but had unfortunately been robbed of the chance to do in the best way possible. Neither her magic nor her weapon supported that method of attack.

 _Well, it's not our fault that you like to sleep. Now sit down and find them._ Meryet found it more enjoyable to be in the thick of the action, but obliged to assist, taking a seat on the rocky ground.

 _When Alicia comes looking for me, what happens will throw you off._ She quietly commented, starting to zoom in her eyesight. It wasn't a result of her personal magic, just the standard enhancements she had. She sat there with her legs crossed, her cheek resting on her palm.

 _I don't care._ Lucine said. The comments from the rest of the squad were already rushing through Meryet's head. She stopped paying attention to them, knowing that this was going to be treated as a comedy. Meryet pulled up the current map of the city, cross-referencing her current sight. What she saw instantly went to Lucine's head. She stretched out her arm, taking a deep breath but keeping her eyes on target. Lucine moved the rifle a little.

She fired. The enchantment previously placed on the rifle reduced the recoil to negligible levels. The barrel moved just a little once more. Another shot. This repeated several times, as Meryet scanned the surrounding area, giving target after target. Minutes passed, Lucine reloading, Meryet continuing to mark the targets. They couldn't kill anything too big, but that was fine.

Their current target was a squad of standard infantry. A rare sight these days, but obviously an auxiliary unit sent to the front in desperation. _Aim up._ Meryet said. _You're going low._ Now they weren't having their kneecaps blown off, but instead being thrown onto the ground from a chest shot. The infantry squad scattered for cover, a Hammerhead tank sliding in front of them.

The railgun turret swung about, slowly lining straight up with their location. _That's new._ Meryet commented. Had her heart's rhythm not been steadily regulated by her mental controls, it would have started pounding. A single ping for assistance went out. Their squad was resting at the moment, but Lucine and her comrade were only fifty feet away at the most.

 _Damn you both._ Nena, the squad's shield generator, muttered. She landed between the two, right as her shield flashed bright under the weight of the shots fired.

 _Hey, they're better at spotting now._ Meryet commented. _Request assistance, sniper team._ She called out to the general network within the base camp. The message was accompanied with the exact location of the offending vehicle, Meryet keeping the feed live as she flicked on her magic to observe it.

 _Roger that._ From a Lifewardens sniper team. Meryet kept watching, linking with the shooter. She directly transmitted the target data, which was merely subsumed into the myriad information already being assessed at an incredible rate.

As Meryet watched the tank slowly drift away, still preparing to fire once again, a blinding light pierced one of its cannons. The Hammerhead now scooted down the street. Fleeing with its tail between its legs, the hovertank had barely gotten half of itself round the corner before another beam left a blackened hole in a propulsion unit. Now trailing smoke, the tank made its escape, the other Tau forces not daring to rouse the attention of the snipers.

 _Well, well,_ Meryet winced at the ladylike voice of the spotter for the Lifewardens team that had assisted them, _looks like you messed up._

 _Thanks for the assistance._ Meryet replied, not biting. To her own comrades she ordered, _You three, get back in. They're not as clueless as we thought. We're wasting magic at this point._ Meryet stood up, taking one more look at the city. Right as the knight turned around, realizing she'd had her helmet off the whole time, she paid for that mistake, as Alicia's slap hurt.

A bone broke under the impact, and a few drops of blood leaked from Meryet's mouth. _Rude._ She remarked in a private message.

 _As if you didn't do worse._ The girl said. Her anger was real. The displeasure on her pale face made it hard for Meryet to meet her gaze.

 _Can't blame her._ Meryet thought to herself as she reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. _Nena's only fifty, but Alicia's the youngest at thirty-seven, not from the same planet as anyone else. Not even from a planet at all._

 _Look Alicia, it had nothing to do with your ability. You're perfectly good at your job._ Despite this, Alicia looked no better. In fact, she seemed worse off with the hand on her shoulder. Meryet waved forwards, realizing they were still out in the open. Hurrying back inside the protection of the invisibility field, Meryet continued. _But that was your third time, right?_

 _Yes, it was._ The girl was uneasy, and rightfully so. Dying just didn't get easy for some girls.

 _Sorry, I forgot. It should be easier the next few times._ Meryet promised, heading back with her towards the tents. _I'll do my best to not be a cause of it in the future._

Alicia nodded, _thank you._ Meryet looked at her. The voidborn's jet-black hair was long, reaching all the way to her knees. Her strangely dark eyes never had a distinct color in them. The aura she gave off was a strange one.

 _The worst part is that she understands all that._ Meryet sighed, thinking to herself as the accompanied the girl into the tent. _The only good part is that besides her appearance, there's nothing off about her._ To Alicia she suggested, _lay down, get a bit of rest. Don't go to sleep, though, we may have to get back out there soon._

Alicia nodded. _Thank you for that, sorry for that slap._ Meryet shook her head. The dark-haired girl laid down, while stood by the exit, trying to find the right words.

In the end, she chose the simplest there were. _I deserved it._ Meryet emerged out into the battlefield once more, catching the sight of a fresh barrage of artillery landing near the opposite edge of the city. The knight grinned. _Fifty-eight years of this and it still doesn't get old._ She thought to herself, confident in that enjoyment.

* * *

Meryet Aleanudh: Currently a member of the Fallen Angels 6th Company. Capable of enhancing eyesight to analyze a target, taking into account a variety of factors. Capable of calculating trajectories and making detailed scans of objects. Classified under analyzers.  
 _  
-Grimoire Ingenium_

* * *

 **I feel like clarifying that everything within the first person narration is within the bounds of an official record written by Vergiana. Everything third-person is not within that record.**


	3. The Eve before the Beginning

**This chapter introduces the third of the three viewpoints.**

* * *

To Lord Inquisitor Alania,

I understand you and the council evacuated out of Nibelung as soon as the civil war began, but what surprises me is why it hasn't ended. I understand it's a fairly even split, but I just question why the Knights have yet to move in. Nevertheless, I'm offering the support of my forces. Our captain is a few sectors away with the other five squads, but I have fifty-six knights with me right now who can intervene. The captain's already approved the operation, so I'm seeking approval from you. I understand that when a civil war's been going on for three years when the sector's in the middle of multiple Chapter and Inquisitorial worlds, something else is going on, but I'd still like to ask. Feels like the situation some special strike team would be perfect for, so I hope I'm not interrupted anything. I await your response. We're currently waiting at Utik, and we'll move as soon as the confirmation comes.

-Message from Sergeant Loretta Cafolison, Dusk Servants 5th Company

* * *

"Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember her, you are not alone." The girl clasped her hands together just a bit tighter as she finished, then opened her eyes. Slowly her hands came apart as she stood from her kneeling position in front of the altar.

A sudden rumble passed through the room, reverberating through the thick walls. Suddenly, a cascade of disturbances followed, the floor shaking under the turbulence. The girl didn't seem perturbed in the slightest by the sounds and movement, merely taking one last look at the altar before turning around.

Her room was spacious, larger than the average girl's room, but that was because of her rank. Even then, it wasn't too much bigger. She was already heading for the door when the knock rang out against the metal. Despite the boots she wore, the girl's walking made only the slightest sound

Before opening the door, she reached up to her blonde hair, gathering it together into a single tail. With a twinkle of light, a tie was fashioned around it. Fingers clasped the handle and she swung the door open, choosing to wait until she saw the other side before picking an expression. It ended up being a glare. On the other side stood a girl clad in armor colored red-bronze, her hair a plain shade of red. She smirked, leaning with her elbow to the side of the door.

Her left pauldron was obviously exposed, bearing a distinctive red symbol. The blonde rocked back and forth on her feet, obviously considering closing the door. "Twenty-four hours. The bets are starting." The girl in red said, "Care to play?"

"Just because Clementine lifted the ban for her girls doesn't mean I will." The blonde girl said, dressed in mostly black, save for the bright yellow scarf round her neck, and the tan beret atop her head.

The one in red shrugged, taking a step back from the doorway as she saw the other girl's fists tense up. "Come on Columbine, let's not be acting like this." Her hands were thrown up in front of her, palms open, while her mouth was curved in a sly grin.

Columbine shook her head, straightening her beret as she did so. "The answer is no." She stated flatly. "That is final." The blonde stepped forwards, brushing past the girl in red as she shut her door. Bending down as Columbine turned to face down the hall, the girl in red took hold of the girl's ponytail. It reached down to just a couple inches above the floor.

All Columbine did was stop. Then her back arched as she glared over her shoulder at the armored girl. "Margareta…" She growled, teeth grinding against one another. "Let it go."

Margareta released it, before leaping past the girl. The action forcibly removed Columbine from her path, as the red-haired girl kept on moving down the hall. "I'll let your girls decide for themselves." She declared. "On whether or not they want to join."

"Idiot." Columbine muttered. _And I have to go in the same direction as her._ She thought, reaching into a pocket on her black jacket. A small black box was removed. The vox put to her mouth, she spoke into it quietly. "Ingwe, where is everybody?"

"Waiting for you." The girl replied.

"Margareta's about to come round. Don't start a fight, please." Columbine paused. "And if one does start, it's you that's taking the fall."

"Yes ma'am." Ingwe said. "Anything more?"

"Nothing for now, out." Columbine clicked it off, quickening her pace through the halls of the ship. She considered putting her armor on, but decided against it. In any case, she preferred her normal outfit. The girl ignored any of the myriad noises that one could hear at any point throughout the ship, hoping to simply reach her destination as fast as possible.

The crew stopped for her, saluting and standing at attention. A process they'd repeat for any of the teenage girls amongst them. Columbine nodded to the other girls she passed by, taking care to make eye contact with each one. "Ms. Arundel!" a shout from behind her didn't make Columbine pause.

She kept her bris pace, forcing the other girl to keep up with her. "Clementine wants to know if she has point."

 _Is planning that important to her?_ Columbine wondered, then shook her head. "I just changed it to Margareta." She said.

"W-what?!" The other girl replied. Her youth showed in everything she did and said. "Has Lady Astikai cleared it?"

Columbine shook her head. "I'll ask, but she'll probably approve. Tell Clementine I'll get to her within six hours at the most." She told the girl, not even glancing at her.

"Yes ma'am!" The girl saluted, before running off. Columbine came to her destination, and took a moment to straighten herself. Her tan jacket ended precisely at her waistline, giving way to trousers of the same shade. Dark green boots ran up her legs, her pants tucked into them. Columbine's hands bore the same color in the shape of a pair of leather gloves.

One of those gloved hands now reached out for the door handle. She pushed it open, immediately being struck by the blast of sound from within. "Attention!" Ingwe shouted immediately from her position across the room, standing up to attention immediately.

Of the five others in the room, two complied with the shout. The others were too busy speaking to someone else. The room had nothing in it but a large round table, and off to one side of it, Margareta was busy spinning her story into one far more dramatic than needed.

"Margareta." Columbine shouted. The girl glanced at her. "Out." She ordered, her voice leaving no room for complaint. Margareta shrugged innocently. Despite that, she still made her way towards the door. Once again she brushed past Columbine.

"Your death shall be beautiful." The girl in red whispered as she did so.

"Likewise." Columbine calmly responded, waiting till the girl was gone to do anything more. "Cherepia." Her eyes now focused on one of those who had been speaking to Margareta. "That's enough of that behavior." Columbine received an unhappy glare in reply.

Then the girl nodded. "Fine," She said, slipping into her seat. At the same time, Cherepia waved to the others around her, "Come on, no use fighting." Columbine smirked a little, but erased the expression before anyone could catch it.

She moved to her seat, pausing for a moment before sitting. "I'd appreciate it if we could ignore Margareta. She's been doing nothing but cause trouble lately, and it's not going to help anyone if we bite." Columbine looked at Cherepia. "Do not engage with her in any way, unless it's part of official business."

That was when she sat. The table was just large enough to accommodate the seven seats, and in the middle sat a large square map, touching the edge of the circle at all four corners. "In less than twenty-four hours, we hit Ulcia. Margareta's girls are to take point. Clementine will most likely go in afterwards. I'm tempted to send in Delyth right afterwards, but it will most likely come down to an on-the-spot decision. If we're faltering, then we'll go in, if not then Delyth can do what she wants." Columbine paused, thinking momentarily about what she had said.

"And as for Ciuatl, she's heading in last, of course." She explained. "Alright, let's take a closer look now." The girl was interrupted suddenly. The complaint came from Cherepia.

"Why must Ciuatl go in last?" The girl asked.

Columbine sighed. "We do this every time." She remarked. "She has Astikai's ear, and she's got her convinced that the survival of all her girls is vital."

"Still, you're second-in-command, you should have more sway." Cherepia sighed. Ingwe glared at her furiously, but a wave from Columbine calmed her.

"Cherepia, that doesn't mean I'm in charge-"

"You wish you were though." The brunette winked at her, lifting her slender legs onto the table. Something that Columbine couldn't stand.

Columbine spat back. "I don't need your troublemaking, so shut up." Cherepia gritted her teeth, but admitted defeat for the time being. "And get your damn legs off the table, before I take them off. Permanently." Only a split second of Columbine's intense gaze passed before Cherepia complied.

The blonde tugged at the few strands of her hair hanging over her face, before she said softly. "Thank you." From the look on her face, realizations were going unspoken. It would be a couple seconds more before she kept speaking. "Currently, Ulcia is in chaos. It was the origin of the revolt in the sector, and from there it spread like wildfire. However, we don't actually know anything about the situation on the ground."

Columbine reached out to point at a certain point on the planet. "This is the capital itself. We're going to make landfall there. From there we'll spread out, wiping out any opposition, till we can take control of the planet. Once we have the capital, we'll be in a good position to take control of the rest of the sector."

The other girls nodded. "And it also solves the grief cube problem, right?" Cherepia asked. Columbine confirmed that.

She explained further. "We'll be able to replenish our supplies there, given that it's the hub for the Inquisition's network in this sector. However…we don't know how many will be left, so some issues may arise from that." Columbine thought for a few moments more.

"Is there anything any of you would like to ask Lady Astikai about?" she wondered, "I'll go see her immediately after this."

Ingwe nodded. The first time she'd made to say anything since Columbine entered. "Ask about the grief cube distribution. We ought to formulate some kind of plan for it."

Cherepia spoke up now. "Ask if we're going to continue pandering to Ciuatl and her girls. They're useful, don't get me wrong. But for the most part, they never participate in combat operations. They're basically freeloaders." Her characteristic smirk sat on her face. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"I know," Columbine sighed heavily, acting as if somebody else besides Cherepia had spoken the words. "It won't be an easy topic, again, I can't do everything just because I'm close to Lady Astikai." She paused for a moment. "But I'll try." She waited a few seconds. "Anything else." The others shook their heads.

"Then I'm done here." Columbine stood up. Half the others followed.

"Let love be your guide." They spoke simultaneously, saluting at the same time.

Columbine called out, "Dismissed!" She immediately strode for the door, Ingwe following alongside her. "Try talking to Ciuatl yourself." Columbine ordered, "See if you can try to coax her into assisting. Keep it low-key, don't start making threats or anything."

"Coax her? Or 'coax' her?" Ingwe asked, her face not reflecting the changed tone.

"The first option," Columbine established, "I'd rather not clean up the mess if you were to do that to her." They exited the room, Columbine immediately heading off in a different direction.

Ingwe shrugged, calling after her, "It's just what I do."

* * *

The heavy doors rumbled, slowly sliding back. It took a long time. The ship was out of shape, and some of the less-vital, and therefore less-maintained, systems had fallen into poor condition. Months had passed since it was last in port, and the heavy warp travel it had undergone had not helped the state of the vessel in any way.

However, Columbine didn't mind it at times. Sometimes, it helped her. It was what allowed her to catch her commander before she entered the astrotelepath's sanctum. "I'd like to speak to her personally." Astikai said. It wasn't quite a glare, more a look that reminded Columbine who was in charge.

"I understand. However, I'd like to ask some questions about the Ulcia operation." Columbine explained, saluting.

"And those would be?"

"About Margareta." The doors were massive slabs of metal, hardened to withstand a point-blank impact from a nuclear weapon. The motors were rusted to oblivion. Columbine had some time. "I was wondering if her unit ought to land first."

"Why do you think so?" Astikai wondered, tapping her foot impatiently. Though she ran her eyes back and forth along the doors, she was listening.

"Well, her girls are the most suited for such combat. Furthermore, Clementine's speciality lies more with-"

Now Astikai was glaring. "If you want to get rid of her, just say so." Columbine shrugged. "You come to me with this yet again. And once again, I have to say that there's not much we can do." The girl was wearing her armor, covering everything but her head. Her feet clanged against the metal as she turned to face Columbine. "She may be a problem, but she's more rational than most under her command. Things are better with her in charge."

Columbine couldn't argue with that. "I think we'd both like it if she was gone, with all due respect." She was still willing to stand up for herself.

"I understand that, and it's true. I'd like all of them gone. However, there's also the fact that Margareta's practically the symbol of those not born into this business. We remove her, and suddenly the divide between the two groups widens even more." The doors had fully rolled open now, and Astikai stepped forwards. Columbine followed.

There was still one more set before the sanctum. "I understand." Columbine said sadly. "But I also wanted to ask about the grief cube distribution once we take Ulcia. How should we handle things? Margareta's going to cause problems with her games. Delyth and she will inevitably end up fighting. I don't want a repeat of last time."

Astikai took a heavy breath. "Yes, I know. It's why I'm handing it over to you this time. Doing myself was too much of a problem, because I need to be supported by the others. They can hate you, however. It's your purpose to be hated."

"I'm well aware of that, ma'am." Columbine said with a smile.

"Good, but there has to be more than that." Astikai guessed.

Columbine grinned, "Just Cherepia pointing out, once again might I add, that Ciuatl's your favorite." The doors were nearly open.

The short-haired brunette frowned, tapping her foot once again. "Sounds as if Cherepia is more of a problem than Margareta will ever be." Astikai observed. "Especially since she's technically in charge of half your unit."

Columbine clasped her hands behind her back, taking a deep breath as she thought. "True, but without me, who's she going to annoy? I'm the one she likes to cause problems for. If she's in charge, what's she going to do? I'll never find a knife in my back because it would be victory for her, and I doubt she'd like that. Besides, Ingwe wouldn't be pleased with that either."

The door were fully opened now. Columbine turned away, facing back the way she came. She'd have to wait for the first doors to open again now. "Of course, there's always the chance that I'll never find a knife in my back because I'm too useful to you."

"Implying something there?" Astikai said, not restraining the threat in her voice in the slightest.

"I most certainly am." Columbine said, before walking away to stand right before the first doors. Not another word was said between the two as Astikai waited for the doors to the sanctum to close. Columbine waited as well, as neither set could be open at the same time.

She lifted her vox from her pocket. Checking that no one was around, she whispered. "Ingwe, convergence rose 27."

* * *

Within one of the hangars of the old, cobbled-together craft, there was a rather intricate and messy network of catwalks running through. Evidence of a time past when the bay was used to house dozens upon dozens of fighters, instead of a few shuttlecraft.

Ingwe sat on the edge of one, looking down at the empty bay below. A shape that could be recognized as a girl entered slowly. Suddenly, she was shooting into the air, accelerating faster than what should be possible for a normal jump. Yet she landed smoothly beside Ingwe.

The girl's hair was colored platinum blonde; its length was about half that of her back. She wore a dark brown trench coat. A dark black vest was underneath, a red tie reaching down her body. Dark black leather gloves were on her hands, while a long pleated skirt reached to her ankles.

On a belt around her waist, two holsters could be observed. Both obviously for pistols. A revolver sat in each of them. Columbine sat down beside her as the fingers of Ingwe's left hand ran back and forth over one of the guns. "Why did you want to meet?" The girl in the coat asked.

"I don't know, just felt like talking to you." Columbine explained. "Been a while since we've had time alone, given all that's been going on since we got to this sector."

"I suppose you're correct." Ingwe said quietly, "A lot has been going on. I can't help but feel that we're not going to succeed. We're making a risky gamble, going for Ulcia like this with our current resources. If they get backup, we're not going to make it out alive."

"That's the unfortunate thing about it." Columbine sighed. She looked around, almost as if she suspected someone was watching her. "What did Ciuatl say?"

"She agreed to take more of an active role. I think she realizes now that she dug this hole for us, so she has to get us out." Ingwe chuckled.

"Indeed, it was them who led on this wild goose chase. I just hope we survive at this point." Columbine sighed. "I'd say they're all crazy if they weren't some of the smartest people I've ever met."

"You can be smart and crazy," Ingwe pointed out. "I think we both know that very well." The girl beside her laughed at that.

"Yes of course." Columbine grinned. She ran her eyes over Ingwe, watching her shift uncomfortably. "A bad feeling?" Ingwe shook her head.

"No, just old instincts flashing back." Her hand had went for one of the guns at her side. Without even realizing, Columbine realized her fists had tightened up. The two laughed at the other. Ingwe stood up. "Come on," She insisted, "We should try to practice, at least a little."

"Here?" Columbine asked, glancing around. "That'd tear the place apart."

"True, but I'd rather not be bothered. There's no one around at the moment." Ingwe pointed out, discretely pushing back her coat to reveal the twin holsters of her weapons.

Columbine thought for a moment. "I suppose we can." She said, images of the past coming to the forefront of her mind. Her limbs felt heavy, a wave of nostalgia washing through her body. "Yes, let's."

* * *

Columbine winced a little, the motion aligning perfectly with the shaking of the ship as it exited the warp. A brief spike of pain stabbed into her mind, nothing abnormal for a magical girl. Ulcia was only a few hours ahead of them now, the ship guided close by her expert navigator.

The captain sat in his chair upon the bridge, Astikai standing next to him. Columbine was only a step behind. The rest of the knights were preparing to deploy. This made Columbine and another girl the only two on the bridge besides Astikai

That other girl was one clad in white and violet armor, with twin-tails of dark black hair. Ciuatl looked as though everything was merely something to be examined and assessed. "Any sign of ships around the planet?" Astikai asked.

"Multiple ships in orbit and in the docks around Ulcia. None seem to be active, and none are outside of the planet's orbit. No active signals at least. There appears to be a large debris field in orbit, a lot of destroyed ships." Came the call from one of the officers. Columbine was tapped into the network that had come back up after warp exit, and heard the order go to the astroclairvoyant in one of the rooms above the bridge. _Check the asteroid belt behind us, scan for any ship that could get us before we get to Ulcia._

 _Understood._ The girl replied. Columbine devoted one of her minds to watch the results of that, just in case it yielded fruit. She doubted that anyone would be waiting for them. It wasn't as if their arrival was announced, and the rebels lacked any sort of communication, given that the magical girls of the sector weren't on their side.

Ulcia was isolated. The minutes ticked away as the ship approached the planet, the scans continually revealing nothing. _Ma'am,_ Columbine suddenly spoke up, when they were only an hour away, _any sign of telepathic jamming? This seems almost too quiet._

The astrotelepath checked, and there was most certainly none. The problem was, however, that the girl had a limited range. She couldn't see the entire system, nothing past the asteroid belt, which sat beyond Ulcia. If there were ships outside of her radius of observation, they'd pass unseen until they revealed themselves.

And while they wouldn't be in range for hours, they'd be in time to prevent any sort of escape attempt. _Have a bad feeling?_ Astikai wondered.

Columbine nodded. _Yes._ She opened a private channel to Ingwe. _Do you feel something off about this? No resistance encountered or detected._

 _Definitely. This has to be some sort of trap. No idea who might have laid it, but if there's no ships then it has to be on the planet._ Ingwe sent back.

 _Try checking the models of the ships in orbit._ Columbine suggested, _what are we dealing with?_

 _Just a bunch of transport ships, nothing special._ The astroclairvoyant said.

 _Look closer, what's their sizes? Could any of them be concealing another ship? Check, quickly!_ Columbine demanded. Astikai didn't visibly react to any of this. Ciuatl turned and walked off the bridge without a single word. The Lady turned to look for a second, then spat a curse and turned to the view screen.

 _One of them is eight kilometers. If its insides are gone, it might be hiding something. Checking…hold on…that's a strike cruiser. They saw me. It's activating._ The girl immediately input the coordinates into the ship's cogitator system.

Columbine thought quickly. _We can take a strike cruiser. Scan the remaining wreckage. Look for anything else, even look for hidden ordinance!_ She looked to Astikai. _We're thirty minutes out. We can turn around and outrun them, we're not in the shape to fight._

Astikai stomped her foot against the deck, denting the metal. _Solve this._ Astikai ordered. _If you're so damn smart, solve this._ Columbine took a deep breath, analyzing the situation as best she could.

To herself, she thought quickly. _We can't outfight them, we have to assume they have the advantage. I doubt they'll go outside of the range of whatever else they have hidden, though. If we wait, then their reinforcements come._

 _Tracing incoming from beyond the asteroid belt. Another cruiser, accelerating fast._ The astrotelepath announced.

 _We need to defeat one before the other can get involved._ Columbine pondered things for a moment. Then she knew what she needed to do. _Ma'am, take us a bit closer, then I'll go out. Let me take my girls, and Margareta's. We'll go for their ship, board it. The orbit around Ulcia is a mess of debris, it won't be hard to get there if you can interdict their scanning._

 _I'll try my best._ Astikai promised. _Now get out there._ Columbine ran off the bridge, nodding in agreement.

* * *

Columbine ordered as she rushed through the warship. _Margareta, meet my squad in the hangar. We're going now. I assume you know what's going on._

 _Is this why you discouraged betting? Didn't want to lose out here?_ Margareta teased, but complied anyways. It would be a couple minutes of hurried running through the ship before Columbine burst into the hangar where her girls were.

They immediately snapped to attention, and across from them stood Margareta's girls. All clad in the bronze-red of their kind, they were four stronger than Columbine's group.

 _Let's go._ Columbine waved to the Thunderhawk before them. _We have six hours before the other ship gets here. At best, we spend three hours here._

 _How do we know the strength of the enemy?_ Cherepia asked.

 _We don't._ Columbine admitted. Then she promised. _But we'll win._ Her eyes brightened up. A second later, her armor flashed on, covering her in pitch black metal. _In fact, I already have an idea._ She sent to the astrotelepath. _Give the pilot the exact locations of the ordinance sites you spotted._

* * *

Minutes later the gunship was shooting in towards the planet. The cruiser had moved out just beyond standoff range, and seemed to be waiting for the enemy to act. Its partner was accelerating in fast, but there was still time. The pilot of the Thunderhawk drove the beast quickly, heading for the first spot the astrotelepath had uncovered.

Columbine waited with bated breath, fully expecting for her move to be called. They weren't moving in such a way to suggest that they knew where the ordinance was, but it was in their general direction. Luckily, there was plenty of cover in that area, so it looked like they were just approaching that way to find some cover.

The astrotelepath and astroclairvoyant were doing their best to jam the enemy, and it was working so far. A few glimpses of the Thunderhawk may have been caught, but nothing more than that. _Eve, are you ready?_ Columbine asked her teleporter. The girl nodded, merely waiting for the input from Vrana, their clairvoyant.

A couple more minutes passed. Then Vrana had the location, and Eve was in range. "Keep flying." Columbine called to the pilot, the others standing up and gathering around Eve. Their helmets all fully secured themselves.

A second later, they were truly in space. In the shadow of a wrecked merchant vessel. A couple dozen feet away, there was a massive launcher. Multiple tubes, each one loaded with a ship-killing torpedo. A quick scan came out from one of Margareta's.

Columbine raised her bolter, a short magical impulse propelling her forwards. The others did the same, adopting a sort of formation. _No mental signatures. Guess it's remote-activated._ The telepath announced. It was the smart thing to do. It would be easier to find were it actually staffed by girls, and remote-activated meant it was harder to turn against the user.

It was an old trick, literally thousands of years old in fact. No one really knew where the idea came from originally, but somehow it had caught on to use spare weapons systems as traps like this. Most ships a few spare launchers around, given that firing torpedoes and shells that could level continents tended to rip apart barrels like a hot knife into butter.

 _Come on,_ Columbine said. _Get it moving. We'll push it in view of the cruiser, then fire._ The girls followed the order. Ingwe moved outwards to take a look at the angle.

"A perfect shot at its side. It won't be able to get away in time." She spoke with the vox, knowing that telepathy would be detectable. The other girls switched back on their mouths, some never having turned them off.

The massive weapon was carefully moved away and slowly turned to face the ship. The movement was small enough so that it wouldn't be detected on the radar that was obviously tracking it, and there had to be too many such launchers to track them all at the same time through clairvoyancy.

It was only a fifty foot move through zero-gravity before the girls stabilized the launcher, turning it a little. "How do we fire it, if it's remote controlled?" Margareta asked.

"Margareta, assign five girls here. They guard it. We move around to the other four locations, and target the others. As soon as that's done, our ship charges forwards, and they fire the launchers. Instead of us, they get the torpedoes." Columbine explained.

"A good plan." Margareta was forced to admit. She assigned the needed girls. The others kicked off, floating through the field of debris. By merely expelling magic particles in a direction, it was easy to maneuver. And because of the lack of friction, it was easy to gain high speed.

The Thunderhawk was still approaching, maneuvering through the debris field to try and distract the enemy. Multiple fighter craft had went out after it, prompting Astikai to send some of her own, making it look like a battle of pickets.

Columbine merely prayed that the enemy did not notice what was really going on. It took some time, but after about thirty minutes, the process was complete. The initial dogfight had turned into a full-on duel between the fighter and gunship complements of the two vessels, but it seemed that the enemy were powered on by arrogance.

 _Ma'am. Charge forwards. We're ready to attack once you do._ Astikai knew the idea of the plan, and immediately carried it out. Columbine watched happily as her own vessel shot forwards, concentrating all its power to the forwards void shields.

Not long now. Columbine counted down in her head as the ship approached. Then she thought of something. _Wait. We haven't been observed at all. This is too good to be true._ She knew that when things were too good to be true, they were never true.

Knowing she was at risk, she kicked over in front of one of the launchers. She looked closely at the torpedo before dodging aside. It looked normal, but it didn't feel right. _It's a trap._ She called out. _We were tricked, these aren't real. Astikai, slow down, they just wanted to draw us out and draw you in!_

On cue, the enemy ship accelerated. If they had more girls than those onboard Astikai's ship, then it wouldn't be much of a battle. Columbine raced back, the others joining her. She had to believe this, if they didn't then there'd be problems.

Before, going back to her own ship would have alerted the enemy to their plan. Now it was going to destroy them. _Actually, don't slow!_ Columbine shouted. _You'll shoot through the center of the field, and we can all come in around you._ She set a spot for her and Margareta's girls to meet. _Hurry!_ She cried out, _shields to max, brush past the enemy and pick us up._

 _That'll slam us right into the gravity well!_ Astikai cried.

 _Then decelerate as soon as you get past and start turning. You might be able to slip into orbit, and we can get out. At this point, it's time to cut our losses_! Columbine cried.

 _We're going to beat them. I won't be humiliated like this!_ Astikai shouted.

 _Damn you!_ Columbine replied. _Keeping going full speed. When the enemy boards, jam their teleportation. Do anything you can to prevent them from getting back to their own ship._ Then she turned to those around her, switching fully to telepathy now. Ingwe, Cherepia, Eve, and Margareta were with her, the others all guarding the other launchers. _Eve, get as close as possible without clairvoyancy._ The enemy telepaths had to be jamming as hard as they could, preventing any clairvoyant from seeing them. That would make it harder to board, as they couldn't just teleport with the fact that they couldn't see in either.

The girls accelerated as fast as they could, then Eve did as she was told. Five armored girls now floated just in front of the ship's prow. It shot past them, but they shot downwards and activated the magnetic locks on their boots, holding on tight to the surface of the ship.

 _To the hangar._ Columbine said, Margareta running ahead to take the lead. Ingwe was behind her, while Cherepia and Eve were behind Columbine. They ran down the ship's length, before turning and moving down the side of the vessel itself.

They spotted one of the hangar's easily, a pair of fighter craft just slipping in to rearm and refuel. The cruiser was ablaze with point-defense gunfire, it's main guns making the entire vessel shake. The shield flickered with impacts. Were it to fail, Columbine and the others could be wiped out.

Fighters swirled all around, locked in dogfights against one another. Any one of them could come by and drop a shot into the unprotected hangar, so the doors were closed at the moment. Columbine and the others waited outside for something to exit.

Seconds later, Columbine looked up to see her ship shooting by, the ships echanging furious broadsides as they passed by. The enemy vessel released Thunderhawks for boarding beforehand, and that was their chance.

Margareta was the first to leap into the hangar, followed by the others. A large claymore was in her hand, wielded as though it were a stick. She sliced through all those in her way. Ingwe pulled out her revolvers, casually twirling them about herself.

Blood ran across the metal floor as Margareta carved a path to the door, the others leaping after her. Columbine raised her bolter as the girl in red stood before the exit. Her weapon glowing, she swung briefly, rending through the hardened metal.

Then they were in. From what Columbine could hear, all of the others were back on their ship. The battle was in full swing. However, the enemy had not anticipated a boarding action on their own craft. Columbine looked to Cherepia. She knew the girl knew the layout the best.

So that girl led the way. There wasn't much resistance, with only a few armsmen daring to standing in their way. The five knights hacked and blasted their way to the bridge, taking minutes of time to travel through the ship as it denizens tried to lock it down.

Locked in combat over a hundred miles away, the enemy was stalling quickly. This was the only chance Columbine and the others had. They stood before the bridge now. Columbine nodded to Ingwe.

The girl stood a few feet from the doors, before holstering both her weapons. She reached out her hand, and into that right hand another gun flashed. A normal-looked revolver. Ingwe took hold with both hands as the chamber glowed bright for a brief second.

Then there was a loud bang, followed by the appearance of a three foot wide hole in the bridge doors. Margareta was the first leaping through, the others quickly following. The girl in red was in front, hacking down the fleeing personnel, while the captain was on the ground, trying to crawl away.

The battle for this ship had been won. Cleaning up back on hers would take some time, but one of the main threats was gone. Columbine strode over to the captain, who tried to look dead. He cried out and looked up as Columbine slammed down on his hand. The man spat on her. "Heretic." He cursed her. "Traitor."

He was almost drowned out by the screams of the crew and Margareta's declarations of blood for her god. A second before the bolt round ended his fear, Columbine said softly, "I never betrayed anyone."

* * *

I'm not sure if you've heard recently, but our spies within the wider network of traitors throughout the Galactic East have bounced back a single name to us quite frequently. Sifras Astikai. She doesn't show up in the _Grimoire,_ so we can assume she never served the Imperium. Seems she's done a good job of building a quite ruthless little fighting force. I called up Segmentum Solar, and they tell me she's a somewhat familiar name, apparently responsible for that big attack on Serras near the end of the last Black Crusade. Last time she was solidly identified was a few light years away from the Nibelung Sector, about seven months ago. Now if she interferes in that civil war, bad things will happen. Most likely, the next thing we'll hear from the sector is that it's controlled by her. Try to locate and eliminate Astikai and her forces. Be careful, as she is resourceful and has a strong force behind her. I suggest you start out with the capital world, Ulcia. She was on the opposite side of the sector last we heard, but if she hasn't moved on Ulcia yet, she will soon. Good luck, the Goddess Protects.

Lord Inquisitor Alania's reply to Sergeant Cafolison.

* * *

 **For the first part of the story, the biggest focus will be on Vergiana, but the other viewpoints will progress as well. I've hopefully got something of a schedule going, so I should be able to get a new chapter out every week or so.**


	4. No Regrets

Sergeant Germana,

I know you're getting a little restless, and you're a couple days behind schedule, but I'd appreciate it if you could wait a day or so more. There's another girl about to contract, or at least the Incubators say there is. Looking at her profile, I definitely think it'll happen. There's a chance she won't even come, I've notified the Inquisition as per standard and they seem to want her. However, in the case she chooses the knights(Which I think she will, call it instinct), then I'd prefer you to be the one. She'd round out the nineteen candidates you have so far anyways. Just trust me on this one.

-Lucretia Provera, Lifewardens Librarium, Recruitment Division

* * *

I'd wasted away the afternoon in my room. This time the scenery outside was different. Just that morning, we'd made the short trip via plane out to our house in the mountains. Once again, my quarters there were spacious, sitting at the top of the building.

On my bed I lay, an open notebook before me. Several pencils laid there heavily used. The past few pages were filled with rough sketches of what I saw through the entirely-glass wall in my bedroom. A lake sat out there, just a couple dozen feet from the mansion.

It was a beautiful sight, surrounded a green forest and shone down upon by a yellow sun. The lake, and the things that it inspired me to draw, were perhaps the thing that kept me sane that afternoon. I didn't waste the whole thing away, for if I had, then I would have gone crazy with fright.

Memories of that night before flickered through my head all day, making me question if I'd really said those words. _Maybe it was all a dream._ I thought. _Would it be better if it was just a dream?_

While I managed, it was still uncomfortable sitting there. I couldn't answer if somebody had asked me what I was waiting for. Maybe I was just trying to figure out if I'd really meant what I said, or perhaps I was searching for the right words to speak when it came time.

The arrival of my father broke the monotony. I was running down the stairs merely a couple of seconds after leaping from my bed. It wasn't him that attracted me, but the excuse to move was what set me running. Through the four floors of the house I dashed, nearly tripping over myself as I reached the bottom.

"Happy birthday!" the man called out, embracing me as I rounded the corner. A grin showed up on my face, but my eyes went to one of the bags beside the door. It wasn't one of the usual ones he carried. When he released me, I hopped over, eyeing it carefully.

"For you." My father said. I immediately picked the bag up, taking a glance at its contents. Nothing incredibly special, just two new sets of drawing tools. Of the finest quality for light years around.

"Thank you!" I shouted, hugging him again, and then running off up the stairs. I held the bag tight to my chest, entrusting the rest of the day to its contents. Even as my mother called after me, I didn't listen, bolting into my room and slamming the door shut.

I breathed hard, putting the bag beside my bed. My eyes glanced out the window, catching a reflection of the light off of the lake's surface. Slowly, I pressed my fingers against the glass, staring out at shining blue water. My hair flipped around as I spun suddenly, marching back to the bed.

The materials I'd just received were tossed out onto the sheets, a new determination filling me as I worked to recreate what I had seen. An irrepressible feeling had grown up inside me, something I wanted so desperately to run away from.

But I couldn't run away. For a year I'd been running away. It ended today. This was either the last thing I would draw as something besides a magical girl, or just the first in a long string of masterpieces. I really can't say which one I wanted it to be.

The sun was setting when I heard the call for dinner. It took some effort to rouse my tired muscles and mind to action, but I answered the call. At my door I hesitated, knowing that opening it would let it in the rest of the world. The world that I had successfully sealed off.

It was the spur of the moment that got my hand turning the knob. It was too late at that point. I was already headed down the stairs, my breathing slow and heavy. The world seemed to spin around me as I walked into the small dining room. It was just a small table. It sat four, but there were only three in the room.

I nodded to my parents, taking a seat. Apparently I wasn't very good at acting, as my attempt to eat normally without other thoughts pervading my mind failed. I was slow at lifting the food, slow at chewing it, constantly missing what the others said to me. Only a fool would have missed the obvious.

It is to their credit that they broached the subject in a way less blunt that I had feared. "What are you thinking about?" My mother asked, frowning at me.

I didn't reply at first, merely shaking my head. "Nothing…" I muttered, hurrying up with my eating. Blindly, I hoped to keep on ignoring the problem until it was somehow solved. It seems that I believed my fear would just resolve itself if I ignored it for long enough.

My father spoke next. "Vergiana, really, what's wrong?" The compassion in his voice almost forced it out of me.

"I'm fine, alright." Closer to a rude snap that an assurance. The meaning wasn't lost on my parents.

"Vergiana." My mother snapped. "That kind of behavior is unacceptable. Spit out what's wrong, or go back to your room." In my defense, my father raised his hands.

"Now let's not be hasty." He advocated, looking at me. "Vergiana, is this about the contract? Please, don't feel pressured just because it's your birthday."

I shot up from my seat. My plate leaped against the table as my hands slammed down. "Don't feel pressured?!" I questioned, my emotions flooding out. "Every day of my life I'm reminded of what I'm expected to do! Much less not feel any pressure, I can barely forget that there's more to me besides the fact that I have potential!"

Quicks steps carried me backwards from the table as I comprehended what I'd done. Both my parents pinned me with glares that'd normally freeze me in my spot. But I wasn't frozen now. "I'm done!" I shouted, "No more are you going to rule over my life!" I stomped my foot on the ground.

It was a struggle to catch my breath as I ran through the house, the shouts of my parents chasing after me. My coat and shoes came on, and I was bolting out the door. The sun had set all the way, and the night was cold and dark. Down the hill I ran, sprinting alongside the long, the forest in my sights.

Then something caught up with me. It wasn't a person. It wasn't really anything. It was just myself. My legs came to a stop before I could fully run all the way into those dark woods, where not a bit of light made it in. A shiver ran through my body as I glanced all around, feeling like eyes watched me from an unknown location.

 _I'm not a coward._ I told myself, my mind suddenly captivated by this one issue. _I'm not scared of silly things like the dark._ My legs struggled to move forwards, but I couldn't make myself. For a minute I stood there, considering facing the truth and turning back.

Then my eyes opened wide. All the air disappeared from my body in a single second. Slowly I descended to the ground, every bit of me trembling in shock. As I sat there on my knees, my hands grabbed the sides of my head. It all made sense now. The truth that I had seemingly realized so many times, it was laid before me now like a mystery unwound.

I wasn't a coward. I wasn't forced by my parents into anything. There was no oppressive shadow forcing me into contracting. I was just scared of what I didn't understand.

With the night as dark as it was, how could I possibly know what lurked in the blackness of the forest? With the universe as wide as it was, how could I possibly know what lurked in the vastness of the galaxy?

The two questions were one and the same. With my own whispered promise still vaguely echoing in the depths of my mind, I knew what I had to do. My head looked up towards the mansion. With a sigh of resignation, I stood. No, it wasn't resignation. I did not resign myself to a fate I could avoid.

It was that insatiable desire that I am cursed with. The desire that has brought down countless others in the past. While the universe was vast and immeasurable, the secrets it contained could be described by the _same words_. What choice was there for me, other than to accept the one chance I shall have, in all my existence, to find those secrets?

I did not know the words I was to speak before the Incubator. I did not know if I had the courage to face what I didn't understand. However, the understanding, not merely the knowledge, of that fear within me drove me forwards. If I knew how I thought, how could I let that thinking hold me back?

My stride carried me slowly along the shoreline of the lake, as I cast my gaze to the other side. Only one question spun around in my head. There was only thing I searched for. A wish to make.

* * *

Some time passed before I found myself dropping down onto a small ledge beside the lake, right where the grass and dirt dropped down to the silt. The lake was a bit dry this season from the heat, so my feet were safe from the water. This night, the moon peaked out from behind the clouds, lighting the lake a little.

The chill of the cold, relatively dry air bit at me, but I ignored it. Steps behind me gave me a start. I leapt up from my seat, turning to face the sound. My mother stood there on the slope behind me. There was a brief impulse to leave, but she didn't look angry.

Really, my mother didn't look like she knew what she was feeling. I loosened up, and my face brightened as well. Seeing this, the woman took a few steps towards me, then sat down where I had been. I went down right beside her. Only after a long moment of silence, where the world seemed to stop, did she speak.

"I'm sorry for pushing you so hard. I…I can't imagine what it must have been like." She buried her face in her hands.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. None of this was ever your fault. All this pressure, all the fear I felt, it came from within me." My voice was soft, perhaps even regretful. But I knew within myself that I didn't regret the year I'd spend arguing with myself.

It was scary, to think so much time had been blown away by a single revelation. But that revelation only had its impact because of that year I spent searching for it. If I hadn't gone looking, I wouldn't have found anything. There wasn't a bit of regret in my heart.

Understandably, my mother was surprised. "Vergiana?" She asked, "You-you sound different." She looked up towards me. "You look different."

A hand held up my head as I looked out across the lake. "I guess I am." I admitted. "But it's for the better. I get what was wrong, what held me back."

"What?!" My mother cried, "Held you back? You _are_ going to contract?" It was surprise that I heard. I was put off by it, not expecting this behavior. At the most, I'd expected a half-hearted apology to try and get me back inside.

I nodded, not backing down. "I will contract." And as if to ensure I would, I added, "Tonight." There wasn't a reply to that at first. My mother just turned her head away slowly, her mind obviously spinning.

She sounded almost sad as she muttered. "You're really going to do it." A shiver ran through her body. It wasn't regret that I heard, at least I assumed it to not be. I felt in my heart it was just the feeling one gets when their journey reaches a conclusion.

"You really wanted me to do it, didn't you?" I asked.

The woman sighed, "Yes, but-"

"It came from your heart, I can tell that much. It wasn't just because others told you to, was it?" I asked, a smile on my face. My mother saw that smile. I swear that her heart broke in that second.

Tears poured down her cheeks, my smile turning to a frown as I reached out for her. "I really did hurt you so much, you've convinced yourself this is the only way to be happy, haven't you?" She asked, standing up and backing away. I kept going after her, wrapping my arms around her.

"No." I said, "That's not true at all. It's just not true." I stated clearly. "Mother, I found out why I'm so unwilling and scared. Once I know, I should be able to face it, right?"

She stopped shaking for a few seconds, enough to spit out. "What did you discover? What changed you like this?"

"I just don't know what's out there. I didn't want to contract because I couldn't just admit to myself that I'm scared. I wanted so hard to be strong, to be brave, to not accept help, but in the end I was just worried about things I couldn't know anything about." I explained, stepping away from my mother. I looked up at her eyes, smiling brightly.

"So this wasn't my fault?" She asked, "You…you're not angry at me?"

"For what?" I asked, "Honestly, the past few months, I've been doing nothing but fighting back at you every chance I get. You shouldn't be blamed for retaliating." I turned away, taking a few steps towards the edge of the water. "Really, I can only thank you."

My mother stopped her tears, sniffling for a few seconds more before she spoke. "So, Vergiana, do you know what you'll wish for?"

Muscles tensed up at that. "Honestly, I'm not sure yet. All I can be sure of is that I'm going to contract tonight." I wasn't the kind of person to make promises. So I had no idea if I'd have the will to see this promise through or not. However, I was not about to let the first time be a failure.

"You want knowledge, do you not?" My mother asked, "Wish for that." It seemed simple enough. That was one of the reasons there'd been so much pressure. I had something I wanted.

I looked over my shoulder, a melancholy grin on my face. "But that would be boring, just gaining that knowledge. It'd be dangerous, as well, wishing for all I wanted to know. I want to learn, not just to have the knowledge slammed into my brain." The explanation made sense to me. I couldn't say if it made sense to anyone else.

"I'm sure you'll find the right words to say when it comes time." My mother said. "You're a smart girl, Vergiana." She paused for a few seconds. "And even if it doesn't seem like it, I believe in you. Don't ever think that I didn't."

She turned around, stepping back towards the mansion. I looked back towards the lake for a couple seconds. Then a shout stopped my mother. "You wanted me to because you didn't, right?" I called out to her. She froze up. The woman looked over her shoulder with real tears in her eyes. Then she nodded.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, doubting it was loud enough for her to hear. She was already walking away. I spun around, running after her. "Mother, I'm sorry. I'll contract, I'll make the contract. I won't let you down!" I came running into her from behind, almost sending both of us to the ground as I hugged her.

The woman had no words. "You never told Albina either, did you?" I asked. She shook her head slightly. "That's what I thought. You shouldn't be embarrassed, don't act like you wasted your life." I can't say I believed the words I was saying. In a way, I felt like the crushing regret she had to feel was justified.

But I wasn't about to let her wallow in it. "Just…just promise me you won't give up. Make the contract, it's a better life regardless." My mother whispered. She turned around, bending down to my height. "Besides, I could never find something in my life I felt was worth a wish and an eternal contract. If you have that, then pursue it."

I held back the tears in my own eyes, but as I hugged her again, they flickered brightly, the moonlight bouncing off the little drops. "Now go on," my mother intoned, "If that's the future you want, then don't give up on chasing it." I broke away from her, sprinting up the hill.

A glance behind myself caught her eyes one last time. It was the last time she'd see me as a normal little girl.

* * *

I lay on my bed, eyes staring out the window. The moon was still bright in the sky. The clouds were clearing up, revealing the stars that dotted the darkness. And there I was, insignificant in the immeasurable ocean of time and space.

My legs were bent, knees pulled up towards me, while my arms snuggled in close to my chest. I'd made my promises, and I'd even gotten the basic idea of what to wish for. But actually acting on what I'd said was hard. I hadn't expected myself to be so paralyzed when it came finally time, but I was.

My father and mother were most likely already in bed. I wondered if she had told him what I planned on doing. Given the way I burst into the house and went straight to my room, I doubted my father was going to try and talk to me.

My eyes had been wide open for some time now. I just kept staring out the window. I couldn't shake the feelings that chained me down, even though I knew exactly why they were there. _I just don't know what lies beyond this point. Past this, there is infinite possibility._ I knew that those thoughts were what gave me fear.

The world seemed to spin around me, as I waited for the right words to jump into my mind. Then I shut that thought out. I couldn't wait anymore. For too long, I'd waited for a decision to jump into my mind. I had to go out and find it on my own.

Slowly, I pushed myself onto all fours, looking around me as I slowly slid off the bed. A strange sensation ran through my body, head to toe. Once in the past, over a year before, I'd felt this feeling. My eyes were drawn to the balcony just outside my room, which the glass wall opened out to.

And there I saw the small white thing. The lights were off in my room, so we could clearly see one another. I tried to open my mouth, but I couldn't find anything to say. _Hello Vergiana Laurentia, it has been a long time since we last spoke._ The steady monotone of the creature unnerved me, but I knew it was nothing more than a servant of the Goddess. Just like I was.

Its eyes, unblinking and unchanging, stared at me. A chill ran up and down my body, as a cloud suddenly passed in front of the moon. _Well, do you have a wish you would like granted?_ The Incubator asked of me. My teeth chattered together, as my mind fully came to comprehend the fact that this would decide my future.

I nodded. _Then speak it, and accept the contract with Her Holy Majesty._ The Incubator did not move. I shifted my weight back and forth, not balancing on one foot. My eyes looked all around, seeing everything but the Incubator. It wasn't the time to hesitate, though. I was stronger than this. I'd faced my fear, I'd understood my fear.

The shock of that revelation before the forest still coursed through my body and mind. I couldn't let go of that feeling. That wondrous feeling when I was released from what had held me back. No, I wasn't released. I could now look at the chains that bound me and acknowledge them, but even that was enough.

My hands covered my face as I suddenly burst into tears. I breathed faster and faster in the meantime, barely able to stay focused. I saw my mother. I saw Albina. I heard their words. There was a loud clack as I took a defiant step forwards, ripping my hands away from my face. My fists clenched tight while my lungs sucked in a deep breath of air.

Though my entire body coursed with fear, I found myself speaking. I wouldn't let myself run away anymore. The future was something I had to face, even if it was terrifying. I looked past the Incubator, seeing only the dark of the night. The entire sky seemed to be covered with clouds.

I didn't know what was out there. I didn't know what was beyond those clouds. I didn't know what lay among the stars. But I was going to go there. To those strange stars that were so utterly unknown to me. And I would find out what lay there.

 _Speak your wish._ The Incubator insisted. _Let the Goddess be reborn anew._

Words finally came out. "I wish to go out and learn everything that the universe has to offer. To learn every secret, every piece of trivia, every bit of knowledge that my mind can possibly contain." I finally stared the Incubator right in its eyes. "That is my wish."

The pain hit me then. It spread through every millimeter of my body, stretching all the way down to my core. My chest was pulled out, the rest of my form going limp. I couldn't think of even trying to move, and no scream came from my wide open mouth as my face twisted in shock.

The pain was terrifying, something that wouldn't be equaled for a long time. But it was gone just as quickly as it came. I fell to my back, hands automatically reaching out to catch the small point of pure white light. My fingers wrapped around it as it solidified into an egg-shaped object.

I recognized it as a soul gem. As I softly hit the floor, the Incubator echoed through my head. _Thank you, Vergiana Laurentia, your wish heals the Goddess._ I knew the words to be true. Then it turned around and leapt from the balcony.

"The Goddess Protects." I whispered as I stared up at the ceiling, feeling an emotion course through my body.

It felt strange at first, till I recognized it for what it really was. Happiness. Pure, unbridled happiness. Finally, I had done what I had always feared. While infinite potentials still stretched out before me, I knew that I could face whatever the universe could throw at me.

* * *

End Chapter 2 of Record

* * *

Plying through the emptiness, the squadron made its way past the drifting scatter of lifeless hulks. The rays of the sun followed alongside, shooting past to light the farther planets, before continuing on to make the star's presence known to the rest of the universe.

Behind the four vessels sat the night side of the planet they left behind. Despite the darkness, the wounds upon the world were obvious. Most worlds, even the more agricultural ones, were still light brightly at night by their cities. This planet was almost entirely dark, save for a few points of light across one continent.

Just two months of war had darkened the world. Now she was left behind, not quite a lifeless husk, but not exactly matching up to most others of her kind. It was luck that the wounds were not permanent or deep. Time would heal the planet.

The four craft were a unit of strike cruisers, accelerating full speed for the edge of the system. Their sides bore the insignia of the chapters to which they belonged. The winged cross of the Fallen Angels and the crossed muskets over a heart of the Lifewardens were displayed, two ships bearing one and two ships the other.

Anyone linked into the system-wide telepathic network could see the buzz of communications that suddenly started. Messages back to the planet, the ships in orbit, even some flung across the gulfs of space back to the Sfera Vita. Personal and official messages alike traveled back and forth, the forces wishing each other farewell.

Then it suddenly cut off. Like a switch was flipped, the final messages went in and out, and then nothing. A couple minutes later, the four cruisers slipped into the warp, headed for their next destination.

"Alright, listen up." The captain stood atop the small stage, the stick in her hand indicating the map of the planet displayed on the massive screen, some thirty by twenty feet. Her voice was loud and clear, silencing the fifty-three girls in the room. "Here we can see Yerevan. Thirty-seven years ago, this was peacefully ceded to the Tau in the Concord of Mespot. It currently sits behind the three frontier systems. Normally the Tau fleet would have something to say about an attack, but after Moesia it's gone."

She took a moment to pause. "Our intelligence report that it is currently the most densely-populated world that we can reasonably strike at, and is also the hub for trade and communications." The girl then said sternly, "But this isn't an occupation. This is a punitive mission, remember that. Our objective is total war."

The captain clicked a button on the remote held by her side, zooming the image out. "We'll enter about a hundred thousand miles from the planet's moon. From there, we'll accelerate inwards, forming a single spearhead. The orbital defense should be light, and the stations in orbit are our first target. Teleporter teams will move from station to station, systemically wiping them out. That will be a third of the force. Another third is down to the planet, while another third is in reserve."

"We should spend about an hour commencing the attack itself, then pull out. We'll go over a more-detailed plan once we enter the system and get more detailed facts, but until then, know that everything is a valid target, even humans. The xenos are primary, but it's your discretion on humans. Stay away from their military installations, target the big civilian and commercial targets. We want to terrorize them, not get bogged down in a fight. Otherwise, you're all dismissed." She saluted.

Meryet stood with the others, sending the same motion back. The room cleared quickly, Meryet merely turning to the rest of her squad. Tentheta shrugged at the others. "Its three days to Yerevan, do what you want with that time. Just be ready when it comes."

That comment sent the girls off in their various directions. Meryet walked alongside Alicia, the youngest girl sticking close to the person she knew the best. _Besides, it always feels better being beside her in the warp._

The two walked along through the ship, taking a winding route back to the block where the quarters for the knights were. Alicia always looked all around herself at times like this, as if she was interested by everything. _Is she looking at things we can't see?_ Meryet would always ask herself, but would never have the heart to ask the girl.

She ignored the matter, focusing on some other train of thought. "We have leave after this," Meryet remarked, hoping to get Alicia talking, "Six months I believe."

"Yeah, maybe we'll be dropped off in the Sfera." Alicia said with a grin. "That'd be a nice break."

Meryet concurred. "It would be nice, but somehow I doubt we'd be that lucky." She paused for a moment. "Well, there are plenty of Magica worlds scattered throughout the east, and there's something to see on all of them."

"If we head out west again, we could be dropped off somewhere in range of Carthage!" Alicia clapped happily. "Seeing a world on the true frontier would be wonderful."

"Wonderful?" Meryet remarked, "I don't really think so, interesting fits it better." Alicia just smirked at the correction.

Her fingers tapped against one another in a steady rhythm as she walked, clicking out a tune Meryet didn't know. Meryet didn't focus on it for long, starting to get a headache after about a minute of the action. Alicia kept her bright look, eyes still flicking all about the halls.

Luckily, it wasn't long before they reached their destination. "I need some sleep," Meryet explained, "If you could give me a couple hours alone?"

"Sure." Alicia said cheerfully, bouncing off into her own room. Meryet hesitated for a couple seconds, gaze lingering on the girl's door, before she turned around and strode across the hall to her own.

A heavy sigh emerged from her as she entered. The door locked, Meryet moved across the room to fall on her bed. Blue eyes stared up at the ceiling, Meryet trying to dislodge the uneasiness from her body. Eventually, it worked, and she did slip into sleep.

* * *

Four bright points of light shot through space, following a long curving trail towards their destination. Hundreds of kilometers separated each of the vessels, but slowly they converged as they closed on the target.

The reaction from the planet they faced towards wasn't by any means visible. One couldn't see the weapon batteries powering up, the shield systems coming online, the targeting computers tracing trajectories. An entire array of defensive stations locked onto a single one of the four cruisers.

With the planet only twenty thousand miles away, the battle properly commenced. Volleys of torpedoes were released from their tubes, streaking through the dark. Railguns and plasma batteries alike cast their ammunition out, while swarms of small craft flooded out of the hangar bays.

The cruisers headed on straight forwards, returning the fire they received. The void fields stood, shimmering brightly in the void as impact after impact struck down. The torpedoes kept on coming, inciting the point-defense batteries to open fire.

It was at this point that Meryet found herself running along the top of her ship, heading towards the prow. The fields flickered brightly around her, and the metal beneath her feet shook with the force of the guns firing all around her. She wasn't alone, other sniper teams moving out as well to function as point-defense.

 _I'm jealous._ Lucine whined, wanting to be the one sniping. Unfortunately, a standard weapon wouldn't cut it in this case. _Why do you get to have all the fun?_ Meryet said nothing, just delegating one part of her mind to listening while continuing to focus with the rest.

Her bow flashed into her hands, the astroclairvoyant assigning a torpedo to each girl. They were only two thousand miles away, and closing fast. At this point, they were barely visible. Meryet zoomed in as far as she could, activating all possible enhancements on her eyes. When combined with the clairvoyant's data, it was easy to observe the target.

Meryet pulled back the string, charging the arrow as much as she could. The projectile glowed bright green, joining the glow of the other girls on the ship's prow. One thousand miles now. The girls fired.

The arrow flashed brightly through the darkness, a trail of charged energy giving it a heavenly look as it honed in. It didn't fire straight at the torpedo, instead slightly to the side, before Meryet silently willed in to curve towards the torpedo's thrusters.

Less armored than the fore, due to weight issues and the fact that point-defenses couldn't curve like a magic projectile could, the rear was a prime target. Tracing its arc through the darkness, the shining green bolt pierced the armor.

A split-second later, the torpedo was consumed by a bright fireball, the nuclear payload blown off course and sent hurtling through space in some other direction. The first wave had been survived easily enough. And that had given the cruisers time to close.

Even now they decelerated, the planet only ten thousand miles away. The Tau's shields lit up as well as the return fire struck, the enemy less able to handle the issue of the torpedoes. Meryet headed back down the deck, a teleporter popping in to take her and the others back inside.

 _Ground force is going down to the largest city via drop pod. From there, exactly thirty minutes to do damage, no more no less._ Captain Placidia of the Lifewardens explained. _Drop in fifteen minutes._ Meryet was brought back to her pod bay by the teleporter, and quickly rejoined her squad.

The others were already belted in, and Meryet followed. She fully integrated her mind into the squad's network, and they were set to launch. The countdown ran in one part of Meryet's mind while the squad ran over its plan, Tentheta explaining. _We split into two groups. Meryet's is to storm the commercial complex exactly fifty feet from intended landing sight, with the intention of leveling the building. Mine will move one hundred feet to the northwest and attack the skyscrapers there. Do as much damage to the structures. Get the locations of the shelters as well. I'll let you decide on your own if you want humans to die, but all xenos seen must be eliminated._ The accuracy of the clairvoyants allowed for incredibly minute planning even at this stage.

A few more minutes passed in relative silence before the final countdown commenced. Meryet tensed up, clutching her bolter tightly. Her mind ran through all the potential outcomes, while she cast glance after glance at the youngest of the girls in the drop pod.

Then they were off, hurtling down towards the surface of Yerevan. Instantly, Nebet's invisibility field went up around the pod, concealing it from most forms of observation. The initial atmosphere entry was bumpy, but uneventful. Then it was smoother as the pod accelerated towards the planet's surface relatively unhindered. _Shields up!_ Tentheta shouted, as if Nena needed reminding. Her shield extended around the pod.

The Tau ground defenses would be firing wildly into the air, as most pods would be stealthed. Those that weren't were still guarded by a shield. The already hard to hit containers were made practically invincible by the magical girls within.

And when combined with the number of pods containing nothing more than gun or missile turrets, it was practically impossible for the girls to be shot down during this stage. And they were not, every pod containing knights safely making it to the ground.

The shock came as the pod slammed into the ground at hundreds of miles an hour. A split second before, the shield had gone down. The invisibility was still up, so unless someone was a few feet away, they'd have no idea that there was anything there.

Meryet whispered a short prayer as the doors opened, unstrapping herself and leaping out. _For the Goddess, For Redemption!_ Tentheta called, and the others echoed the call. It was echoed by all the Fallen Angels, whether they be on the ground or in space. On the network, it mixed in with the battle cries of the Lifewardens as they entered combat.

Leaping from the pod with those assigned to her, Meryet crossed the fifty feet to the shopping complex in a single bound. It looked to be a large mall, a prime target to make a psychological impact. Most of the populace was already in shelters, having had hours of warning time, but there were still a few about the streets.

Among them were the Tau military forces, firing up at the magical girls that seemed to appear from nowhere. A squad of Fire Warriors and a pair of battlesuits were located on the street the pod landed on, an overpass encased on glass above them. Meryet's first shots put down half the infantry's number, before her leap ended with her crashing through the top of the large glass corridor.

Inside she immediately ducked under a Kroot's swing, balancing on her left leg while her right kick shot up to slam into the creature's chin. As the xenos was sent barreling into this companions, Meryet extended her bolter to the chest of the left most one. The trigger was pulled. A simple motion brought her right leg back down, drawing her aim across the other xenos.

Alien blood coated the hallway, while the one that had been kicked was sent flying out of the corridor with its comrades, hitting the ground twenty feet below. Meryet instantly spun to open fire on one of the battlesuits she'd passed over, her bolts ripping into its armor as it struggled to track the five girls. A second later, a shot from Alicia pierced the machine. After a burst of blood and guts, the suit fell down lifeless, red fluid leaking out.

The other suit lifted into the air on its jets, only for both thrusters to go up in flames as bolts slammed into them. Its legs twisted and scorched, the battlesuit fell thirty feet down, remaining motionless. Meryet was already moving as Nebet sent a grenade its direction.

 _Nebet, Aleita, find the structural points, bring this thing down!_ Meryet shouted, leaping towards the end of the corridor as her bolter spat rounds at the clustered enemies in the large space the hallway opened into.

Infantrymen ran for cover amidst the tables and stalls, trying desperately to return fire. Grenades went out towards the entrance, but Meryet just leapt over them, exploiting the twenty feet of room offered by the high ceiling. Not once did she reload, her shots expertly tearing apart the enemy.

Some actually broke and ran. Meryet recognized that to mean that they were humans. She didn't spare them. They weren't civilians. The half a dozen that tried collapsed in bloody messes. Under her breath, Meryet cursed. _Have we gotten one yet?_ She asked.

 _I got one._ Lucine called, indicating she'd restrained one of the enemy, _Aleita, get here!_ As Meryet kept moving, searching for more enemies, the telepath joined with Lucine. The intention was to find the location of the civilian shelter in this area. A prime target for this sort of mission.

 _Tell me when you get the location._ Meryet said, rounding a corner into a long stretch of shops. She was immediately forced to leap aside, a railgun round wiping out the archway through which she entered. Another one chased her into the air, preceding a swarm of missiles.

Meryet pushed herself back in the air with a burst of magic, twisting around to fire at the wall behind herself. An extended leg broke through the weak wall, sending her outside the building. Meryet fell downwards, the entire wall bursting outwards as the missiles impacted.

She turned around, sprinting into the first floor she found behind her. The bolter placed on her back, Meryet summoned her bow. A pair of battlesuits walked into the long hall, standard infantry types. Bursts of plasma fire came from their rotating guns, as Aleita announced the location of the shelter. She couldn't give exact coordinates, only what the location looked like.

 _Forget the building for the moment, it's in here somewhere, find it!_ Meryet checked the mission time, seeing that they still had twenty-seven minutes before they had to pull out. Dodging around the blasts, Meryet sent arrows into the suits weapons as they struggled to dodge her.

Leaping in between the two, she kicked out at one's leg while firing an arrow into the leg of another. The actuators crippled, the two suits fell, entirely harmless. Then she looked up, knowing the Broadside was still above her. Removing a couple of detonation charges from her belt, she quickly calculated its location, before placing them.

The ensuing explosion brought the large suit falling down. The machine shakily got to its feet, just in time for the charge on the suit's back to explode. A hole blasted in its back, the battlesuit was slammed down against the ground, before Meryet leapt over to fire an arrow for good measure.

There wasn't much resistance anywhere else. The Tau on the world were obviously garrison troops, not at all suited to battle Knights. It was an absolute massacre at the moment. Meryet checked the wider situation, seeing the entire city in ruins as buildings were brought down one after another.

The civilian shelters were slowly marked, confirming that there was indeed an entire network of them. _Found it!_ Alicia cried, broadcasting her location. Meryet ended her current engagement, a final few shots ending the infantrymen.

 _Aleita, you know what to do._ She called, turning away and sprinting back through the complex. Meryet didn't need to be at the actual site of the shelter. It was buried beneath the entrance hall, sealed with doors that could withstand orbital bombardment. With the defenses in space still online, there was no way the cruisers could have the time or space to break through all the shtelter doors.

No, there was a better way to do it. Aleita merged her mind with the other telepaths in the city. Already they were focusing their powers on breaking through the defenses against telepathic incursion. If one could see into the shelters, then they could safely teleport in.

The Tau had, early on in their expansion, enlisted the assistance of a race of crystalline insectoids, which had powers somewhat similar to the telepathy of magical girls. They were effective at delaying, but that was about all they could do. And with the second-rate abilities of a garrison force against eight knights, the defenses were broken quickly.

Meryet was sprinting through the complex as she saw the people running. Her bow was raised at first, but then she realized it was a few civilians. Human ones. She let them be. _They were the ones trapped here anyways._ Right before Meryet turned a corner, she saw someone burst through the wall just a couple feet behind the humans.

There was a brief glint of light amidst the dust. Then a long silver line sliced through the fleeing humans, severing their bodies in multiple parts. Meryet was silent as she stared at Lucine, feeling the girl stare back with a look that said 'so what?'.

Meryet didn't comment. She ordered. _Everybody except Aleita, spread out, take down their forces. Inflict as much damage on the surrounding buildings as you can, and make sure Aleita stays safe!_

With that, Meryet leapt up through the glass above, soaring into the air. Flames drifted through the city, the girls with large-scale attacks unleashing them freely. In the distance, flares of light indicated the massive strikes, followed by the collapse of buildings.

With massive thundering booms, skyscrapers came falling down, annihilating the surrounding blocks. The city was massive, containing around fifteen million people, almost all of which were currently clustered in the shelters belowground. Stretching for miles and miles, the city itself was the center of commerce for the planet.

Already, the damage that had been done would take years to rebuild. But twenty-six minutes were left on the clock, and things were just getting started. The biggest obstacle to the total destruction of the city was the fact that the skies did still belong to the enemy. With the Knight fighters still tied down in orbit, the Tau's atmospheric fliers had free reign.

Relatively free reign, at least. As Meryet picked out a couple of Broadsides and their infantry squads, out of the corner of her eyes she caught a pair of Barracudas being blasted from the sky. The girl fell downwards, pulling back the strings of her bow to charge her attack. Her eyes calculated the perfect trajectories as the suits spotted her.

Both outfitted entirely with missile launchers, the twin machines fired a storm up at Meryet, who descended straight down. Meryet pushed herself forwards, letting go of the bowstring and reaching for her belt. A pair of frag grenades were tossed at the missiles as they curved through the air, following Meryet's graceful dodges. She danced through the air, magic particles briefly coalescing to form solid surfaces to leap from.

Twisting and turning like a deranged puppeteer pulled their strings, the missiles swarmed towards Meryet as the grenades landed amongst them. The ensuing explosions, and the chain reaction they caused, either destroyed the projectiles or threw them off course.

Meryet leapt straight outwards, back towards the street the suits were on. An arrow was ready as she came leaping over the edge of the building. The suits were waiting. She watched in what seemed like slow-motion as the dozens of small missiles were released from their tubes.

The knight pushed herself down, kicking off the side of the building towards the ground. The missiles curved back through the air towards her and the Tau, but the quick-thinking pilots hit the kill switch on the projectiles. Above the street the air exploded with flame, while Meryet slid to a stop beside one suit, firing the arrow through the space just below the shoulder joint.

She rolled away as the arrow pierced the pilot within, as she charged another shot. Plasma bolts flashed through the air all around her, but the warriors were hesitant, not wanting to shoot their own. A couple more grenades rolled out, sending the enemy flying for cover.

Amidst the flames, the other Broadside sought escape, lifting through the air. It quickly dropped down before releasing another barrage, not even bothering to lock on. Meryet just leapt above the missiles as they blanketed the street in flames and concussive waves. _He really is a garrison soldier,_ Meryet chuckled, _he's panicking._

A few quick strums of the bowstring scorched multiple wounds on the suit's armor, sending the pilot within running away once again. Meryet touched down gently, her arrow following a path right into the suit's right ammo bay. The Broadside disappeared in a ball of fire.

Five shelters had their mental defenses broken through, detailed images of their interiors had been obtained. Twenty-four minutes left. A hundred locations had been found so far. _We're starting to break down their overall network. They really are novices at this kind of stuff, we'll get them all in time._ A short communication went out from the telepaths.

Meryet leapt atop a building, searching for something worthwhile. About a couple blocks away sat a rather important looking building. She leapt towards it, before a sudden message in her head told her to turn around. The girl's weapon was already glowing as she spun smoothly on her heel, seeing the Barracudas closing in on her.

She let the arrow loose, leaping aside as pair of railgun shots tore up the three-story complex she was on top of. The structure came crashing down as Meryet flipped through the air, her projectile piercing straight through one fighter's railgun.

Their strafing run was interrupted by something only they could see. Meryet watched as the planes started to jerk erratically, twisting through the air as they curved to avoid something that wasn't there. Both plowed into buildings, completely wrecking themselves.

Meryet already knew who it had been in the first place. _Thanks,_ she sent to Alicia, taking a moment to survey the city once again. A split second passed before she was leaping towards her previous destination once again.

A brief examination of the network told her the condition of the fight for orbit. The squads assigned to eliminate the stations were doing well. Most of them had been knocked out, currently drifting lifelessly through orbit. A few were even falling into the atmosphere on trajectories that would carry them mostly intact to smash into the ground.

The Tech-mages had managed to plug into one of the main stations, getting into the entire electronic network. From there, it was only a matter of time before the Tau found their shields powered down and their weapon systems turned against them.

All four cruisers were in good condition, still putting up a good fight against the Tau. The reserve troops were being deployed mainly into space to assist against the enemy fighter craft, and not a single Knight was dead so far.

The large building Meryet had spotted was, on closer inspection, a library. She shrugged as her eyes found the weak points, quickly planting the demolition charges before bringing the structure down. It was probably one of the more impressive buildings she'd seen, both in terms of size and architectural skill.

Nothing but joy came from her heart at the building's destruction. She still had a couple charges left, and searched for something else to use them on. All around, large edifices were collapsing in clouds of dust, which slowly drifted up into the air.

The steady winds coming from the ocean the city sat beside blew the dust all over the city, blotting out the sun that was bright on this cloudless day. Meryet sighed as she took in the sight, before getting a move on once again.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, all the shelters were breached, at least mentally. The crystalline defenders, the Xinshen, were depleted, unable to stop the telepaths. Now it was time for the real strike to begin. The teleporters of both the reserves and the ground troops got to work, ferrying one hundred nuclear charges down from orbit.

Meryet stood atop the ruined mall as the city fell eerily quiet. The destruction had torn the whole place apart, with barely anything escaping at least a few pockets torn out from bolter shots. Even the mall itself had been collapsed by Nebet's well-placed charges.

Yet the fighting had ended. The raid was over. Completely unprepared, the garrison troops had been routed some fifteen minutes after the fighting started. Meryet was certain that not a single civilian out in the streets survived, unless they found a good place to hide.

 _Even the humans,_ she thought solemnly, _enough have the kind of grudge to gun even humans down like that._ And they wouldn't be the last to die. The Tech-mages above had successfully hacked into several stations. Other major cities would find massive space-docks falling down atop them.

 _Got it!_ A shout was carried over the network as the final charges were brought down. _They sacrificed everything else to stop me, but I managed to get into their nuclear weapons._ The torpedoes were designed to tear through the void-shields on warships miles and miles long.

Meryet knew that even the largest cities would disappear in flames. _Ready to transport._ The teleporters announced. The captains gave them the ready. Thunderhawks swooped in through the atmosphere to retrieve the girls as the nuclear charges went popping into shelter after shelter, running on five second countdowns.

Helping Alicia in, Meryet sat beside the ramp as the craft lifted off, her helmet dissipating. The tone of the squad was a solemn one as the ground rumbled, eventually cracking apart. Sinkhole after sinkhole formed, dragging the buildings down as the massive charges went off deep underground.

In a few minutes, it was all over. The city fell truly silent, now devoid of all life except for the lucky few who had made it out. _Firing torpedoes now._ From above, the Tau stations let loose their remaining barrages down at the planet below.

Right before the Thunderhawk's ramp closed, to allow the craft to pick up to escape velocity, Meryet caught the sight of blooming explosions far in the distance. While they wouldn't pierce the shelters, the other cities themselves would be gone.

She turned around, walking back to her seat. Alicia rested her head on her shoulder as soon as she sat down. Meryet wrapped an arm around the girl, pulling her tight as they returned to their vessel.

 _Amazing job, everyone,_ Captain Placidia called. _That was a spectacular success. More than I thought possible. Our current estimates around sixteen million total dead, for the enemy of course. Rebuilding will take at least a decade with what the Tau currently have._

 _I sent word to Caligula a few minutes ago, and I expect that unless she wants to truly punish them, we'll be taking the xenos to the negotiating table in due time._ The captain explained. _Thank you everyone, The Goddess Protects._

Meryet smiled at her words. The Thunderhawk slipped back into the hangar of its mother vessel, and the squad immediately rose. Their captain was on the line with just the Fallen Angels. _First through Eight squads, no need for debriefing. Ninth through Tenth, meet with me in ten minutes._ The last two were the rookies in the company, so it was expected they'd need some help.

Tentheta looked to the others, popping her jaw back into action. "Well, that was good. I've really nothing to say, so unless there's a topic you think we should all discuss, you're free to go." She saluted, Meryet responded, before leaving the craft. Alicia of course stuck by her, but Lucine was the next to come up alongside.

"Sorry about what happened down there," she said, "I thought you knew." Meryet shook her head.

"It wasn't a problem. More surprised than anything." She explained, grinning. "I wouldn't call it mercy that spares the humans on Tau worlds, more like a lack of guts to be perfectly honest."

"The girl who can't formulate a plan to save her life can't act on the spur of the moment, eh?" Lucine poked at the girl's cheek.

Meryet came to a stop, grabbing the girl's finger. Her lips parted in a smile. "Need I bring up the whining?" Lucine blushed at that, yanking her finger away and backing up from Meryet's stare.

Flexing her fingers, the brown-haired knight pinned Meryet with a stare of false anger, before stomping away. All Meryet had was a sigh. She looked back to Alicia. The girl was caught up staring at some random part of the hangar wall.

"Alicia," She could have just checked the battle logs uploaded by every single person to the network. _But it just doesn't feel right,_ Meryet thought. "What do you think about the humans on Tau worlds?"

"I kill them." Alicia shrugged, turning around. "They're traitors, aren't they? Not even trying to resist the xenos rule?"

Meryet pointed out, "But in some cases, the worlds were peacefully handed over, you know how diplomacy works out here." By that, she meant that it actually _did_ work, as opposed to the rest of the universe.

"Sure, but in the end, those humans could have left. They could have chosen to remain loyal servants to the Goddess, yet they did not." Alicia said. Her normal demeanor was still there.

"I know." Meryet took a deep breath, "I wanted to see what you thought." Then saw a shard of hurt in the girl's eyes, as if she misinterpreted what had been said. Meryet pulled her close.

"Asking for someone else's opinion isn't always judging whether or not they're a heretic." The older girl pointed out softly. "Or an abomination, or anything else. I know you're loyal, Alicia, don't let anyone else keep you down."

Alicia pressed herself against the other girl. "Thank you, Meryet." She whispered. Meryet could already feel the warship they stood in accelerating away from the planet, soon to disappear from the system. Just another step on the journey.

Meryet smiled. _I promise, I'll stay with you the whole way._ She spoke to herself.

A small "Huh?" from the girl in her arms made her gasp.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Meryet asked, stepping away from the girl whose face was now entirely consumed by fiery red.

Alicia nodded, saying meekly. "But I didn't mind it." In the end, the two could only laugh at one another.

* * *

Captain Placidia,

Congratulations on your success, and likewise for the Fallen Angels. Proceed back to Macragge immediately, this campaign has unfortunately dragged on too long. The Inquisition has deployed multiple Deathwatch teams, and several fresh regiments are being sent from the Sfera, but we cannot afford to waste anymore knights. We can only hope that the Tau are willing to sit down and hammer out another treaty, but it's highly likely after the losses they've suffered that they'll concede immediately. In other news, another Tomb World woke up fifty light years out on Seserimia, that's where you'll be going next. See you soon, safe travels. The Goddess Protects.

Lifewardens Chapter Master Maria Caligula

* * *

 **I'm hoping to be able to do something similar to this going forwards, the chapter split between Vergiana and then either Meryet or Columbine, but I won't make any promises.**


	5. Bonds

**I apologize for this being so terribly late. About two weeks ago, I got a concussion that stopped me from looking at a computer screen for a few days, and then spent a few more days finishing this up. Unless similarly unfortunate circumstances arise in the future, this shouldn't occur again.**

* * *

The gem in my hands felt weightless as I sat on the edge of my bed, examining its intricacies. It was one of the more beautiful things I'd seen in my life, but perhaps my opinion was swayed by the joy that still held me tight. There isn't any real way to describe how beautiful it seemed to me in the time after it first fell into my hands.

I pulled it close, grasping it tightly to my chest as I tried to calm myself down. But I couldn't. I wanted to discover what I had been blessed with immediately. So with the soul gem in my hand, I reached out with my arm, merely thinking about somehow using my power.

The Incubator had not left a single clue about it, and it didn't come to my mind immediately, so I decided to experiment. Suddenly, my head felt light. No, not my head. It was more like my mind, my thoughts. All of it suddenly felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted up.

Then the voices came into my head. Just a couple at first. I searched for recognition in the words that seemed so familiar to me. But these voices pounded on my head like jackhammers, every word pressing against my skull. The soul gem bounced softly onto the sheets as I fell back and curled my body up, grasping at my head.

With all my might, I tried to will the pain to go away, trying to make it stop. It subsided after a couple seconds, but the voices were still there. There were more this time, drowning out the first. Together they rose upwards in volume, joined by a few others to create a roaring cacophony of sound that pounded against my mind.

Slowly, I came to realize who I was hearing. They were voices I heard all the time. Of my mother, my father, our family's servants. I hadn't the power to try and think of how, or what I was doing. In an attempt to reverse the process, I tried to shut my mind down. Just like my body was curled up, I tried to curl my mind up, to embrace it in a shell.

I focused hard, imagining the image in my mind. The voices started to die out, before stopping altogether. However, my mind wasn't as free as it was before. The voices were gone, and I could feel a little safer. I opened my eyes, reaching out for my soul gem once again.

With that, I saw how it had darkened. My heart leapt into my throat as I gasped. The shining gem was pulled in close, as I sought to somehow guard the thing. I knew that when a gem darkened fully, the girl would die. I didn't think I was in immediate danger of death, but the fear heavily weighed down on me.

So I decided to keep my mind sealed. I felt a bit of despair creeping up on my heart, threatening to stamp out any hope that had once pushed me forwards. _If I can't even control my power, or if it's that scary…then…then did I make the wrong choice?_ The question shook me to the core.

 _No,_ I told myself, _I didn't make that choice based on an impulse. I decided because I knew it was time. If things go bad from here…well…then it's just bad luck. Because I know I made the right choice._ I had contracted, but I still had to face the reality of that fact.

I crawled towards the back of my bed, sliding underneath the covers. My soul gem was kept tight to my chest as I pulled the sheets closer to me, trying to not let myself cry. It wasn't about hiding from someone else, it was about hiding my grief from myself.

Fear holding me tight just as held my gem, I couldn't get to sleep, out of the fear that the magic would resurge and bring me death in the middle of the night. _All I have to do is make it till tomorrow, and maybe then I'll leave. The Lifewardens, the other magical girls, they should be able to help with this…_

I kept my mind closed down, refusing to think of anything else but keeping my mind shut. A part of me wanted to face my fear, to try and solve the problem. It was tempting, but I felt that only bad things would come of that.

After an indeterminate amount of time spent laying there, struggling to not fall asleep, I felt my eyelids shutting against my will. My mind drifted away, right before I shot upright, trying to wake up.

My eyes fell on my gem, and I knew what I had to do. It was foolish, and I could have gotten myself killed. But I knew the fear wouldn't recede until I acted. So I sat upright, laying back against the pillows.

The soul gem sat in my lap; my legs were crossed. I opened up my mind once again, just a little. I focused on hearing only one voice, trying to shut out the others. I searched for the sound of my mother.

It came suddenly, crashing in on my mind, but it was there. The pain receded quickly, and I could hear her speaking. It was random little bursts, as if it wasn't really her talking. Then I saw it wasn't. I felt like I wasn't hearing her voice. It sounded a bit different.

My eyes widened. I was reading her mind. I was a telepath. All the voices was me not being able to control my power. But now, it seemed like I was more capable. I searched for my father's mind, and I could hear both now, but both had decreased in volume.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that I could control my power. However, somehow, I didn't feel safe. I knew I had to try more, and in those moments I realized that until I had convinced myself that I had entirely mastered this ability, I would not sleep.

For a couple minutes I waited, gathering the courage. I knew that I couldn't give up now, after a year. All that I could remember from the past year flooded through my mind, filling my heart up with determination. I saw myself make the contract.

There wasn't any turning back. I let my mind out again. My gem glowed as I reached out with my magic. The voices briefly popped up once again, before I focused on a single one. I listened to it with undivided attention, and the other sounds quickly disappeared.

I felt a bit of pain in my head, but I was able to ignore it and continue. For a few seconds I focused, before I let the concentration wane. This led to the other sounds rushing back in, as if pouring into a suddenly-created vacuum.

While I wasn't necessarily discovering anything new, I started to get a feel for how it actually felt in my head. I shut myself down again, and when I started a few minutes later, it was much easier to actually control what I was and wasn't hearing.

A few more attempts passed by, and I took a several minute break to think about what had happened. Taking a deep breath, I extended my mind, and heard nothing. There wasn't a sound there. I could sense the presence of other minds, but I couldn't hear them at all.

I wanted to leap up and shout with excitement, but I was too tired to do even that much. Briefly, I found my mother's mind, and briefly focused on it. I could hear it, much to my enjoyment, but I didn't listen for long. The moment I brought my mind back inside my head, I fell backwards.

I couldn't actually believe the emotions that were running through me. Not only had I actually contracted, but I'd managed to control my power within hours. Though I was incredibly tired, words could not assess the thoughts that ran through my head.

I made sure to wrap myself up in my own mind, awed at the expanded world that I had entered into. It was some time after my eyes shut before I would fall asleep, but I didn't regret one bit of those moments spent lying awake.

Had the world ended the next day, I think a part of me still would have been satisfied with the life I had lived.

* * *

With a start I woke, jerking away suddenly. The shape of the soul gem was still in my hand. I hugged it close to me. The rays of sunshine from outside told me I'd survived till morning. I jumped out of bed, realizing that I'd never actually changed my clothes.

I went to throw on a new set, before realizing the clunky nature of the gem. Then right as I thought of a way to store it better, it transformed into a ring sitting on a finger of my left hand. I grinned, having forgotten about that.

Dressed in fresh clothes, I threw open my room door hard enough to slam it against the wall and dashed down the stairs. A part of me remembered that I'd seen the clock's time to be about nine-thirty. Past breakfast by a little bit, but I hoped that something had been left out.

I couldn't believe how tired I felt as I nearly collapsed into the dining room. It occurred to me that my energy had been brought about by euphoria, not exactly something that would last forever. "Vergiana?" my mother asked, hurrying to help me up.

I took her hand, the woman immediately noticing my ring. "Vergiana…" She gasped. My father clapped his hands, standing up from the table.

His voice sounded truthful as he said, "Good job Vergiana." I nodded, my body feeling heavy. My mother helped me to a chair, sitting me down.

There was food there for me, and I started to dig in. "You seem tired, were you up late?"

I didn't actually know how long I was up, but it had to have been late into the night. "I was." I confirmed. I refrained from speaking about my experience with my magic. It was a bit scary to consider, even now.

Especially since I'd be barraged with nothing but questions about that. I wanted to say my goodbyes quickly. Somehow, I felt like I wouldn't have much time before I had to leave. The room was quiet as I ate, my parents having been waiting for me.

After a few minutes, I spoke. "So…I want to say thank you to the both of you." My mouth stayed open as I tried to find something more to say. "And…I really do mean it. Both of you helped me in so many ways, even if it was just pushing me forwards."

My father asked, "Vergiana, do you regret what you did at all?"

I shook my head. "There's not a single regret in my heart." I explained, "I'm happy. With all that I've done." A grin spread across my face as my eyes teared up. Both immediately looked concerned, but I held my hand. "It's over…" I whispered, "That's why I'm crying. Because I'm happy, and…I'm a magical girl."

I stood up from my food, wrapping my head around the concept. _I really am a magical girl._ My ring was the next thing I saw as I brought my hand close to my face. _I really did it._ But I wasn't sad. Oh, I was scared. But at the same time, I was happy.

The sensations that coursed through me were almost entirely alien. A strange mix of terror and joy. But it was something I enjoyed. I looked at my mother and father. "Look…" I started. I felt moisture rolling down my cheeks. "I love both of you, and I want you to know that I always have, even if it didn't seem like it."

I took a deep breath, looking around the room that I knew so well. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving soon." I said, my voice melancholy. "But, I'll remember both of you." I smiled sadly as I looked back at them, "I just ask you to try to remember me."

My mother practically leapt over to me, grabbing onto my hand, her other hand pressing against my cheek. She'd been trying to keep her composure before, to let me speak, but it was clear she could no longer hold back. Like glass shattering, the façade fell apart.

She wept, her face twisting in sadness, but also showing joy. "Thank you, Vergiana." She whispered, "Thank you so much." She pulled me close to her, holding me tight. I could hear her crying, both at the fact that she'd lose me, but also because she was happy.

I could hear my father walking over, a hand resting on my shoulder. "Vergiana, you'll be amazing out there. I know you will. With determination like what you have, I don't think anything will stop you." As soon as my mother released me, I was leaping to my father.

I hugged him as well, "Thank you," I said. "Thank you so much."

Perhaps I'd been blessed with foresight as well, for just about that moment, I heard a voice in my head. It actively spoke to me, sounding a bit different from what I heard when I read minds.

 _Ms. Laurentia? If you're prepared, I'd like for you to leave as soon as possible._ I didn't know the girl that spoke to me, but I knew that it was time. I stepped away from both my parents. "I have to go now. They're here to get me." Both faces darkened, lamenting the suddenness of this.

I shook my head. "I'll be back, just like Albina was. I promise." I started to back away as my parents both started to cry.

"The Goddess Protects." Though their voices were both in different tones, they spoke in unison.

"The Goddess Protects." I replied, before running down the stairs and for the exit of the mansion. I emerged out onto the front steps, seeing a girl idly standing beside a flowerbed.

I paused as I saw her, our eyes meeting. She smiled at me. Her mouth moved. "Hello Ms. Laurentia, my name is Lucretia Provencia, Lifewardens Librarium, Recruitment Division." She was clad in Knight armor bearing the colors of that chapter, so I knew she spoke the truth.

I was unsure of what to do, so I merely bowed to her. Lucretia just chuckled at that. "Ah, no need for that." The girl's voice was sweet. "I'm just here to ask you a simple question."

My head cocked to the side as I waited. "What branch of service would you prefer? There's the auxiliaries, the PDG that is, or the Knights." Then she paused, raising a hand. Her fingers snapped, and all noise in the world ceased.

I could still see things moving around me, but I couldn't hear any noise but Lucretia. "Just a program to silence us. Or the Inquisition, that's the other option."

My jaw dropped. "That exists?" I asked.

"Indeed. I know everyone's heard rumors, but the Lifewardens have done a good job of suppressing the reality of the matter." Lucretia explained. "Anyways, they specially requested you. The option exists if you wish to take it."

I had to think for only a second before I shook my head. "I want to…to fight." I said, "I don't think I'm ready for a job as scary as the Inquisition sounds. My choice is the Lifewardens, a Knight."

Lucretia nodded. "Good, you'll be picked up in just a few minutes now. You're lucky, I managed to get the sergeant to postpone this training session by a couple days so we could have a full roster."

"What if I didn't arrive at such a lucky time?" I asked.

Lucretia shrugged, "Nothing bad. You'd just get placed in the PDG till another session started. This just makes things go faster. And you have a theoretically infinite lifespan, no need to worry about losing a couple years."

Still, I was pleased that I had gotten lucky. "So how will I be picked up?"

"By Thunderhawk." Lucretia replied, turning away from the house and walking away. I noticed that she didn't seem to be taller than me. In fact, I felt that if the armor didn't bolster her, she'd be an inch or two shorter.

I followed after her, as we walked out into the large slope of grass before the mansion. Lucretia sat down on it, laying back. She looked spectacularly casual for being a Mage Knight. "It's pretty out here. Come out often?"

"Through the summer and fall every year." I answered. Lucretia grinned at that.

"Well, it'd be nice to just take a break so often."

"You're recruitment, aren't you? Is that not easy?" I wondered, not really knowing much about the actual logistics behind the Knights.

Lucretia laughed out loud at me. It wasn't in a mean way, but I could tell she still found me funny. "Oh, when your job is keeping track of the millions and millions of potential contractees throughout the Sfera, and maintaining an up-to-date psychological profile on each one, there's not much time off." Lucretia still grinned from her laughing.

"But, it's not like I don't enjoy it," She explained, "I love the work, it's just that there's not much free time. But such is life as a Knight." She shrugged. "I sometimes feel jealous for those PDG girls, able to sit back and relax."

I didn't comment, unsure what to say. Then I heard a noise in the distance. My eyes looked up to the bright blue sky, seeing a sleek shape dart through the clouds. A supersonic boom shaking the air, the Thunderhawk swept in low over the mountains, braking hard as it approached.

Lucretia flipped backwards and onto her feet, gesturing to the Thunderhawk. The craft descended to the ground at the bottom of the slope, the ramp in the front opening up. "Go on," she insisted, extending her arm. I walked down the slope, entering the aircraft.

I looked around, seeing fourteen other girls all staring at me. Immediately overwhelmed by their gazes, I leapt to the nearest seat. Lucretia strode in behind me, her eyes passing over everyone. "Well, only a few more now." She announced. "Not long, not long," It seemed she was speaking to herself at that point. She stepped into the cockpit through the door, shutting it behind her.

The others going back to what they were doing before, which was merely staring off into the distance, the Thunderhawk lifted off and shot away. None of the girls seemed to know each other, except for a few. It made sense, given that we came from all across the planet.

Two girls were talking intensely, but their voices were low enough, the rumbling of the craft loud enough, and my other thoughts great enough to prevent me from hearing them. Another pair sat with their hands intertwined, one girl leaning against the other.

I looked at them for a few seconds, before the one who the other rested on gave me a fierce glare. Immediately I looked away. I turned my head all the way around, almost jumping out of my seat when I saw I sat right beside another girl.

In my urge to sit down and escape from the other gazes, I hadn't realized there was another girl right there. She was pressed right against the wall of the craft, staying entirely silent. I looked at her for a moment, then turned my gaze away.

I didn't know how long this would take, but I did want to do something to occupy myself. Then I remembered what my power was. I thought about actually using it. _That wouldn't be right, reading their minds without their permission._ At the same time, it interested me.

So, covering my left hand with my right, I formed my ring into its gem form. The others were too occupied with their own thoughts to notice me. Cradling the gem in my palms, I focused on reaching out with my mind. I looked around for a target.

I thought of it as an innocent endeavor, not really recognizing the importance of what I was doing. Just because I could do it, didn't mean that I should, or had any right to do it.

I thought at first of the two girls that held hands, but then realized that if I were caught, the fiercer one would have my head for it. So I looked around for the person that interested me the most. In the end, the choice was the girl with the chestnut brown hair, which flowed down a bit past her shoulders in rather pretty waves.

Once again, I let my mind fly free, trying to imagine myself focusing in on what was in her head. My power under control, no random thoughts strayed in. I approached her, starting to feel the edge of something. Then I felt a sharp pain in my cheek, and my face encountered the hard metal floor.

A hand shooting to the spot where I'd been struck, I immediately turned over, looking up at the girl who had punched me. Angry eyes glaring into my own, she growled, "Stay out of my head!"

I was astounded, realizing that the secret had been given up by that. At least some of the others had to know that telepaths existed. They'd know what the girl with brown hair meant by that. My face grew bright red, as I quickly took a seat once again, this time a few down from the other girl. But I couldn't escape the stares of the others.

Attempting to salvage the situation, I looked over to her. "I apologize," I said, "There's no excuse for what I tried to do." My voice was heavy, laden with the shame of what I'd suffered.

The girl nodded. "Thank you, but I shouldn't have reacted in the way I did." She seemed polite, which I liked. It didn't look like she came from the richest of families, based simply on her dress. _An understatement, really. She might have been a poor girl in the poorer parts of the planet._ I reminded myself.

I couldn't help but feel bad for her. "It's fine, I tried to look into your mind. There's lots of secrets in there. I think a punch is worth that." The girl only glared at me, making me shut my mouth.

"Don't give me that." She spat, "I don't need to hear you feeling bad for me." A part of me wanted to point out she was reading into what I said far more than necessary. After only a second of deliberation, I spoke just that, thinking it to be a rather adept method of defusing the situation.

"'Reading into'?" She repeated, laughing. "What else could you be trying to do?"

"Excuse me, but please calm down." I insisted, not quite understanding at all what was going on.

Thinking back from my current position, I could see that I was the idiot there. Not backing off when it was obvious that the girl was weighed down with her own problems.

But in the moment, I knew not what I was doing. The girl stood up, rage bursting through her quiet demeanor. "Calm? You want me to be calm?" It seemed that she was asking me to know things I couldn't possibly know.

"What?" I asked, "You're the one standing up and shouting at me." I pointed out, almost laughing at the foolishness of this girl.

"You rich people are all the same!" She cried, "Looking down on us like you're better." Her fist flew out at my face. It appeared that she had some experience fighting. I did not. My arms came up to try and stop it, but all that did was bring pain to my forearms, before her other hand came around the guard and hit my cheek.

I fell back onto the seat, but as she lunged after me, my leg kicked out. She took the kick in the chest, falling back onto her rear. Quickly, I stood from the seats, facing the girl as she stood up once again. "Please, I'm not sure why you're so angry."

The girl looked like she had tears in her eyes as she jumped at me again. I punched out at her, but she easily knocked it aside and hit me with a blow that knocked me back against the front wall of the Thunderhawk. Another punch to my face twisted my neck the other way. Staggering from the pain in my head, she grabbed my hair and twisted me around, seemingly set to slam me against the wall.

There was a slight tug from behind, then nobody was touching me. The girl's force had disappeared in a single instant. I turned around to find Lucretia holding her with one hand. "Disappointing," She remarked, the comment applying to the both of us. Then her gaze went over the others in the compartment, "But the same goes for all of you."

She reached out to the side of the ramp, pointing to a button. "A good thing this didn't get pressed, lest both of you get sucked out of this plane." She commented, tossing the chestnut-haired girl back to the seats. I backed away slowly, taking a seat before Lucretia could make me sit.

"Don't act like that in the future. It won't get you anywhere, if it wasn't obvious." The knight walked back to the cockpit, saying nothing more.

The room fell into total silence after that. I glanced over to the girl. It now dawned on me that I did not fully understand what was going on with her. Of course, she didn't know me either. That much was understood by the two of us now, so we stayed silent.

A few more girls came aboard, and I think what finally made us talk was the understanding that we were running out of what little privacy and quiet this ride offered. I eventually convinced myself, _if I'm to spend the next three years with this girl around me, then I can't start things off by running away from the problem now._

So I spoke, "I'm sorry for angering you. I really don't understand." There was only a brief pause before I continued, "I'm really not acting, or lying. Honestly, I'm sorry."

The other seemed surprised that I had spoken. Perhaps she had intended to go first. For a few seconds, she put me on edge with her silence. Then she found the words, "No, I'm at fault too." A few moments of silence passed. Then the other girl appeared to act on impulse, and stuck her hand out towards me.

"Aurelia Marcella," she introduced herself, the other hand brushing over her eyes.

"I'm Vergiana Laurentia," I said, shaking the hand gently. We both pulled away in a split second of the motion ending. Yet we both smiled afterwards. I couldn't help but sit there afterwards and feel that I had found a friend.

* * *

End Chapter 3 of record

* * *

The room still stinking with the smell of blood, Columbine watched on the monitor as the Thunderhawks bolted away from her own ship. _They retreated._ Astikai explained, _we lost one girl, they didn't lose any. We're turning back around now, prepare to be retrieved._

Columbine spun about. _Find all the grief cubes on this ship. We need every single one we can scavenge. Eliminate any human that gets in your way. Try to capture any girls alive, but kill them if you must. Now go!_ The five of them spread out through the vessel while the clock ticked down.

* * *

Astikai was pacing back and forth on the bridge, loud stomps carrying her from one end of the rear to the other, when Columbine was carried back in by a teleporter. The other girls who had been with her were also there. The five saluted immediately, but Astikai waved it aside.

 _Ma'am, I understand your desire to withhold your honor and pride, but we cannot maintain the situation. If we withdraw now, we'll certainly survive. But if we fight, there's a good chance we'll lose, or take such damage so that we won't recover._ Columbine explained, watching the girl she spoke to walk back and forth.

Astikai suddenly stopped as her eyes fell on her subordinate, the other girls around Columbine hastily clearing out of the room, save for Ingwe and Margareta. It was clear from her position beside Columbine that the former stayed out of loyalty and friendship, while the latter's smirk as she stood a ways away said she was there for the show.

 _Columbine,_ Astikai snapped, _I'm not running away from a fight. I didn't come all the way out here to be chased away by a bunch of upstarts._ The enemy had failed to secure the ship, and had retreated quickly after it became obvious that the battle would only drag on.

 _It was my fault, ma'am._ Columbine said, _I take full responsibility for this incident. I shall atone in any way you see fit._ She stood with her arms ramrod straight at her sides, matching Astikai's gaze.

Running her hands through her brown hair, the girl exhaled a deep breath. _Fine, you failed. What do you suggest we do?_

 _Leave, immediately. We can evade the enemy ship, they will have to retrieve their comrades. We'll get a few hours head start._ Columbine explained, _We managed to retrieve enough grief cubes to tide us over for the time being, but we cannot stay here as long as we assume that there will be further Imperial intervention._

Astikai waved her hand, shouting out the order to the crew. _You're dismissed._ Astikai said, the ship pulling away from the planet. _As for a punishment, do what I already decided you'd do. Divide up the grief cubes._ Astikai ordered.

Columbine saluted once more, then quickly left the bridge. A chuckle followed her, Margareta skipping alongside. "So what if you weren't barking like a loyal little puppy?" She asked.

The blonde girl spun on her heel, grabbing Margareta by the throat. "Puppy? Me?" She growled, "Which one of us spends all their time obsessing over blood and gore in the name of a mad god?" Pushing her arm forwards, she released the girl.

Ingwe lingered for a few seconds as Columbine stormed away; the platinum-haired girl's fingers idly flicked back her coat to reveal her revolvers. A globule of spit landed on Ingwe's forehead, but Margareta did nothing more before leaving in a different direction.

* * *

Before Columbine could even get to accomplish her assigned task, she was interrupted by a call. Unfortunately, it was something that she couldn't just ignore. "She's quick to recoup her losses," Ingwe commented as the two strode into the auditorium.

Looking to have come straight from a high-class theater, the room had been painstakingly crafted with only a single purpose in mind. Columbine replied, "Certainly, I expect she'll be calling me out as the main problem." They walked down towards the front row; Columbine saw that the others of her unit had already taken their seats.

On the edge of one of the long rows, Columbine sat down, Ingwe beside her. The stage was dark, and the auditorium echoed with small talk. Columbine didn't dare sit back and relax, fully expected to be suddenly called out.

Without warning, the lights flashed on, and Astikai seemed to appear from nowhere. A dramatic entrance, most certainly, but not a single person in the room but her seemed to be invested in it. "Despite the recent setback," her voice was what commanded their attention, drawing them all to heed her words. "We have not been defeated, nor are we doomed. Rather, this has perhaps signaled that things have dragged on far too long here."

The brunette kept silent as she paced back and forth across the stage, her gaze drifting to every single girl in the room. _Here it comes,_ Columbine internally sighed, waiting for the moment the girl would open her mouth next. "I apologize to you all, but I will not hesitate to strike out at weaklings should they appear." A brief second for effect, then, "So I call on dear Ms. Frieden," her hand waved towards Columbine, "To come up and explain how we may get out of this present debacle."

Not expressing any discontent, Columbine stood up, walked forwards and hopped onto the stage. Astikai gracefully stepped to the side, shrouding herself behind one of the curtains. A few more seconds passed as Columbine strode to the rear, and flicked a switch beside a large black screen. With a grainy flash, a star-map of the Nibelung sector and the surrounding regions appeared.

"Currently, we're on route to Escher." She took a wooden pointer stick from beside the screen, and indicated the planet. It sat near the edge of the sector, perhaps a week and a half's journey to the next. "We'll be there in around a week, depending on the warp's tides. After that…" Columbine paused, staring up at the screen.

She could feel the stares from the audience. The gazes of the dozens of people who disliked her, some of whom even had a personal vendetta, weighed heavily on her conscious. So she paced back and forth, twirling the stick in her fingers, desperately trying to save face as she thought of a plan.

"We'll go southwards." She suddenly paused, pointing up at the middle of the screen, drawing a line downwards and a bit to the left. "Southwest, really. We have to assume that the Imperium is now undertaking a major operation to reclaim the Nibelung sector. Despite the control that we have set up throughout the rest of it, we cannot rely on them still being there, nor able to actually assist us."

Columbine turned on her heel, facing the audience now. "Therefore, we must leave, and find a way to safer territory. There is an almost one hundred percent chance that this ship was positively identified, therefore they will know that Astikai is out here. I doubt that they'll hesitate to pull out all the stops at that point." She turned back around. "About two months, give or take some time of course, away is what could be considered the frontier of Imperial control, both for this Segmentum and in general." She hit a button to zoom out the map, then showed the effective border at the edge of the Ultima Segmentum. "We're awfully close to it, and with this ship's warp speed, it won't be hard to make it there unhindered. However, we will have to drop out a few times to ensure our destination."

She indicated three points, "All relatively quiet systems, there shouldn't be anything that can hurt us there." Columbine explained, already having informed herself on the sectors surrounding Nibelung some several months before. "There, our route shall be confirmed, and we shall be on our way in a few hours. You may note that our path shall take us just path Carthage, a Magica world. However, we shouldn't have to drop out there, and we should be a ways beyond the border."

Columbine took a deep breath, running over the plan. "The biggest issue is concealing our presence once past the frontier. The Deathwatch can still act against us, and while we are heading into a small traitor fiefdom, who knows what they might do." She finished, then turned around. Her eyes ran over the crowd, before Columbine asked, "Are there any questions?"

 _One, two, three…_ Columbine counted the seconds before Astikai said something. It ended up going to seven, with not a soul in the room making a noticeable sound before their commander commented. "Why are we running away?" She asked, as if a child was the target, disregarding the fact that she herself had already answered the question.

Suppressing an urge to sigh, Columbine tried to think up a response that didn't restate what she already said. "Should we remain in Nibelung, we shall be outnumbered, outgunned, and an easy target for any kill-teams searching to destroy you, ma'am. There will be plenty of those, unless the Dusk Servants are too oblivious to recognize your vessel."

With that, Astikai happily clapped her hands. "Sounds good to me," She declared, stepping out onto the stage again. "Get going now, that was all." The brunette whispered to Columbine. Her voice returned to its previous commanding tone, and she declared, "This plan shall be followed. All of you, I apologize for this, but it is better to fight another day rather than die in a most inglorious manner."

Astikai strode to the fore of the stage, "You are all dismissed." She announced. The audience stood and saluted. Only a few moments would pass before most had dispersed from the auditorium. Columbine looked at her squad, sighing heavily.

"We need to talk," She said.

"Certainly," Astikai suddenly spoke up, "But first, why don't you get along to your other duties?" She suggested. The tone was certainly that of an order.

"Yes ma'am," Columbine said, before storming off.

* * *

Ingwe stood beside Columbine as she faced down four other girls. Two were standing, while two were sitting. A quiet girl with twin tails of dark hair sat idly, eyes staring off into the distance. Across the table from her, a girl with light brown hair curled up into a bun sat with a gentle smile on her face. Both girls wore their armor.

The other two were clad in that same covering, but all four had different colors. Margareta was one of the two standing, an angry glare shooting out at the girl beside her. The other was a girl with neck-length curls of purple hair. It was not just her obvious, dark violet lips that were covered in makeup, her entire face seemed to be perfectly put together. Her lips were lying flat in a look of utter contempt at the fiery redhead that stared her down.

"Ciuatl, Clementine, thank you." Columbine said, before her gaze turned to the others. "Margareta, Delyth, can we sit down before I make you sit down?" Ingwe once again pushed back her coat, fingers drawing up her guns. As if she wasn't paying attention to the situation, the girl flipped them about, spinning them in impossibly complex patterns and techniques.

Neither girl was made to sit, but they at least turned their attention in Columbine's direction. "The count we made puts us at one hundred and forty-seven cubes recovered. There are five groups, and that doesn't split up evenly. Anyways, it's a fact that Margareta's and my girls did not do very much in the previous battle. Everyone else needs them more."

Margareta slammed her hands on the table, while Delyth just chuckled with a rather haughty sort of laugh. Clementine nodded in approval, while Ciuatl kept staring off into the distance while somehow generating an attitude that indicated she was paying attention.

"As such, forty shall go to Clementine, forty to Delyth, and twenty-two each to the rest of us. That leaves one left." She removed it from a pocket, tossing it onto the table. Margareta and Delyth both grabbed out for it, neither wanting it because they needed it, but because it would be a victory over the other to get it.

Columbine smirked as the two moved instantaneously to reach for the object, merely thinking, _it's so fun watching them fight. Hopefully, they'll never actually get along._

Delyth was the faster one, but was immediately tossed across the room by the blow to her face. The crack echoed in everyone's ears as Columbine pinned the redhead with eyes that whispered a silent challenge. Delyth stood up, a hand brushing over the dent in her skull, her face speaking of a sick pleasure that coursed through her.

 _They disgust me,_ Columbine thought of the Slaaneshi and her kin for a moment, _but never mind that._ "Well, that's settled." Columbine said. "We'll be around to deliver the cubes shortly."

 _Columbine, I need to speak to you privately._ Astikai suddenly called. Columbine bit her lip, rethinking the plan. "Well, I must go see the Lady. Ingwe will do it." She turned to the girl, whispering. "Take Cherepia, I'll tell her to listen to you."

Columbine strode out of the room, understanding of the hateful glare Margareta sent at her. The door didn't close when it should have, meaning somebody had followed her out. The fact that Columbine didn't feel a blade in her gut meant it was Margareta.

Rather, the perfume in the air spoke of Delyth's presence, right before another pair of steps and foul stench announced Clementine. The girl in violet armor brushed alongside Columbine. Not like Margareta aggressively did, but instead slipped her lithe figure past in such a way that practically every bit of could be felt by Columbine.

A shudder ran through her body, repeating itself when Delyth spun on her heel and blew a kiss, before twisting about and smoothly stepping away. Columbine tightened up her fists as she stood there, right as Clementine walked up beside her.

"I merely wanted to commemorate your patience in dealing with the less savory elements of this band." Clementine said, her face not showing a single imperfection. Despite that, Columbine had never desired to view a servant of Nurgle beneath their armor.

"Thank you," She said, "That's kind."

"Of course, Ms. Frieden." Clementine smiled brightly, teeth shining white. "I strive to be nothing but kind." She bowed gently, then quietly walked away. A couple seconds later, Columbine was on her way once again.

 _Help Ingwe with the cubes,_ she sent to Cherepia. _That's an order._ A bit of Columbine prayed the girl would fight back, just so there'd be an excuse to later humiliate her.

Unfortunately, the opportunity would not present itself. _Fine._ Cherepia grunted, _where are you going?_

 _To Astikai,_ Columbine explained, hurrying her way towards the Lady's chamber. _Now shut up and do your work._ She just wanted some quiet. Shutting her mind for a moment, she thought. _I can't let what occurred back there happen again. I cannot allow anything like that._

She took a deep breath as she stopped before Astikai's door. Doors, rather. They looked like they belonged in a mansion, being two large pieces of wood with golden furnishings. _Forgive me, your highness._ Columbine thought, before knocking gently against the fine wood.

 _Come in._ Astikai called. Columbine pushed the doors backwards, entering the large space beyond. If anything, it fit the Lady's personality. Columbine turned and closed the doors behind her, before properly casting over the space.

There wasn't a single person inside. For Astikai, in all her grandeur, felt that a single room wasn't enough. She needed another one. Even then, Columbine couldn't criticize. The banquet hall was quite nice, an elaborate chandelier hanging over a long table that could seat eight down each side. The walls were covered by shelves containing all sorts of fanciful dishes utensils.

It was nice eating in when Astikai actually let others eat in it. Columbine walked around the table, stepping up the few steps to the large wooden doors on the wall opposite to the previous set. These doors opened into the large room beyond.

A large canopy bed sat in the middle of the room, itself big enough for six adults sleeping side by side. But only one teenage girl sat reclining against the center of the elaborate stacking of pillows that rested against the bed's head. The bed itself was situated upon a small rise in the floor, while the rest of the room's floor was a thick, soft carpet. The left wall had a gathering of bookshelves, accompanied by a large wardrobe. A door in that wall led off to the large bathroom.

Despite the business of the left side of the room, the right's scant furnishings were overshadowed by something else. Truthfully, the entire side of the room was dominated by the elaborate golden cage that sat there. Its bars were concave, creating an oval space in the middle about ten feet wide. In that space was a large cushion. For a brief moment, Columbine caught the eyes of the girl that sat there, but not a single word was spoken by either.

Astikai was looking off to the side when Columbine saluted, then stood at attention. "You understand why we came to Nibelung in the first place, correct?"

Columbine nodded, "Ciuatl, if I remember correctly? She believed that there was something of worth here."

Astikai replied, "That's right." Resting her head on her hand, she asked, "You see my reasoning, right?"

"You think this was some sort of trap?" Columbine guessed. She thought about the idea for a second. "Plausible, but I don't quite see the connection. Ciuatl's been a traitor for a long time, turning back now isn't exactly possible. She doesn't seem to be Hydra either. I can find out, if you'd like."

Astikai shook her head. "It's not Ciuatl though. I didn't say, but Ciuatl wasn't the one who figured we should come here. She was just conveying what Ushio figured out."

"Ushio?" Columbine asked, "The diviner." Then it made sense. "She's in the perfect position to influence Ciuatl, who has your ear. You think she set this up? Then who'd she be working for?"

Astikai shrugged. "Ask her." A knowing look told Columbine what to do. "But bring her here first. I'll inform Ciuatl that you'll be dropping by, ensure Ingwe is with you." Columbine saluted, then turned to leave.

As the sound of the closing doors echoed through the spacious room, Astikai lay back on her bed. Pressing into the soft mattress, she turned her head to the side, staring at the girl in the cage. "What do you think, Birdie?"

The girl shifted a little, searching for an answer. "Ushio has sinned, but not in the way in you believe." Her voice was soft, innocent. Perhaps one could describe it as angelic.

"Oh so I'm wrong?" Astikai shifted onto her stomach to directly face the cage. A smirk covering her face, she insisted, "Go on, sing for me."

"It's merely a feeling I have." The girl complained, "I can give you nothing more." Her voice betrayed a hint of sadness.

* * *

 **Again, I should be updating again this weekend. All this delay really did was push the schedule back a week, but that's alright, and I'll probably be able to make up for it in the future.**


	6. Regretful Violence

**I should note that all of these stories are occurring at the same time.**

* * *

All five camps throughout the Sfera have begun the next wave. They should be finishing within a few months of one another, unless extraneous circumstances come up. There is no need to increase the rate of input or decrease the training time. Given the current rates of loss, the current wave will actually put us over, but something will almost certainly come up.

Actually, I was thinking of increasing the training times. At least for the moment, we're entirely capable of continuing on without the newest wave. If they're armored up on the same schedule, they can be ready to deploy whenever, but I'd honestly prefer they have some more training. If the Black Crusade drags on any longer, we're going to be called in again, and they'll need all the experience they can get.

Ultimately, the decision is up to you, this is merely a suggestion. Anyways, since I'm due for the Segmentum council, I'll be in the warp for a few weeks. Say hello to Placidia for me when she gets back.

-Message from Lifewardens Librarium Recruitment Division Head Januvia Weller to Chapter Master Maria Caligula.

* * *

It was a year before when my sister returned from training. A party had been thrown for her. At that time, I was overjoyed to see her again. I spent the entire day with her, as we caught up on lost time, relating stories of the years we'd spent apart.

We were standing out on a balcony of the mansion, looking out over the lake. Our parents had left us alone, we wouldn't have paid attention to the two of them anyways. It was a bright sunny day. In the distance, a few dark clouds signaled oncoming rain, but we didn't mind them.

Albina had just finished telling me some story from her training. Both of us were laughing. I remember practically every second of that day, and I can say with certainty that the story was funny. Albina stopped laughing though. It was abrupt, as if something sucked the life out of her.

Suddenly a strange sensation ran up and down my spine, sending chills throughout my body. I spun around, looking for the source of the feeling. I saw it standing on the railing beside the door inside. Large pink eyes, a white body. A long tail flipping back and forth.

Then Albina was stepping in front of me, holding her arm out, "No," She shook her head, "Don't…"

"I apologize, Albina. However, it is our duty to report the truth." The creature's monotone sent another wave of shivers through my body. Somehow, I knew that those unmoving eyes were focused on me. "Vergiana Laurentia, you have potential. It is quite strong, might I add. Contracting as soon as possible would be rather beneficial for you."

"Shut up!" Albina cried, "Get out!" She pushed me behind her. Inadvertently, I almost fell over as my body froze up in shock. Like she would shield me from the problem, I cowered behind my sister. "She doesn't need this," Albina begged, "Please, go."

"I shall," The Incubator promised, "But please, do not shoot the messenger. We merely deliver Her will." I couldn't see, but I could tell that the Incubator was gone.

Albina spun around, wrapping me up in her arms. "I'm sorry Vergiana," She said, as I felt tears at the edges of my eyes. "This is all my fault."

I was too stunned to reply. "W-what am I going to do?" I asked, "I…I need-"

"You don't need to do anything!" Albina stated, "You-you don't need to contract." I relaxed into her arms, letting her hold me tightly. I had no words anymore. There was nothing in my head but fear. I couldn't just escape from this problem. I was going to have to face it someday.

I'd never forget that day. Those single moments that changed the entire course of my existence. Often, I find myself considering whether or not I would have preferred to have them never happen.

It's my belief that my existence as it has been since then is infinitely better than the other life I would have led.

* * *

The atmosphere in the room had changed after that encounter. The other girls were quieter now, not saying anything. A few were quite obviously uncomfortable with the way things were at the moment. Of the two who held hands, the more protective one had me in her sights every time I looked over there.

The Thunderhawk flew about, retrieving the last four girls left, I kept stealing glances at Aurelia. Once or twice, I caught her doing the same. Or she caught me, whichever. Even after that, it was something of an upwards struggle for both of us to say something to the other.

In the end, Aurelia was the braver one. "Are you alright?" Her eyes looked over my wounds. The bruises on my face were fading, as I had utilized the power of my soul gem to heal the wounds. So I nodded.

"Thank you for asking," I did say. There was silence for a couple seconds more. Then we both settled back into our previous positions. It was a few minutes later when we landed again. The last girl sat down quietly, and we were on the final leg of the trip.

"Hey, are you scared?" Aurelia asked me, her voice low enough to be almost lost amidst the ambience of the Thunderhawk. I whipped my head back around to look at her. The fact that she asked the question to me seemed strange. Then I realized that in comparison to most of the other girls in the ship, we were rather close.

I scooted closer to her. At this point, I did think that staying silent and aloof wouldn't help at all throughout this process. "Yes," I whispered back. Then I shut my mouth, feeling my body shake. Aurelia's mouth opened, then I quickly whispered, "Don't say anything, please." She closed her mouth.

"I'm not really," She admitted, "But as you saw, I have my own problems." In the moment, I don't think either of us knew why we could speak to the other. But looking back, it was just a matter of bonding in a stressful situation. Both of us had things weighing down on us.

I think Aurelia trying to escape from her thoughts when she asked, "What can you do?" I frowned. As I opened my mouth, she shook her head, halfheartedly laughing at herself. "I suppose I know what your magic is…" Aurelia remarked, sighing.

"What about you?" I wondered, "What's your magic?" Aurelia took a breath, a hand brushing some hair from her face.

"Clairvoyancy," She replied, "I can see things far away. Perhaps it gives me a better sense of my mind, as well. I could feel you." Aurelia gave me a dry stare. "I imagine that you tried that on others before,"

I blushed in embarrassment. "I never actually did anything like that. You looked quiet…I made an assumption." Aurelia nodded. We both turned away from each other once more. This time, we didn't turn back.

Neither of us said anything more. I wouldn't have called us friends, but we were a bit more than just acquaintances that vaguely knew each other. A bit of hope found its way into the fear that still surrounded my heart. Things might just be alright after all.

* * *

We all looked up at one another when we felt the Thunderhawk land. We all knew that there was only place where it could be landing. We all felt similar things, at least I liked to think that we did.

We stood up as a figure exited the cockpit, Lucretia. She smiled at all of us. "Goodbye," she waved. "And good luck. The next time I'll see you, probably, will be in three years. Have fun. The Goddess Protects."

With that, we all waved our goodbyes and walked towards the open ramp. The view beyond was of a plateau, its ground covered with grass, a few trees and bushes here and there. Large walls raised up from the ground about a hundred feet away, containing a large compound.

There seemed to be a path of sorts leading to one of the large gates. It appeared to be well-worn, as if it had been carved out over thousands of years. A shiver ran up my spine as I realized this same path had to have been walked by hundreds, if not thousands, of girls before me.

The journey started with a bit of silent debate over who ought to go down first, but ultimately a few braver girls took the lead. They walked out ahead of the rest, us forming a sort of loose pack.

It was immediately obvious who the bravest ones were, and who the most scared were. I was in the middle, but that was only because of Aurelia beside me. I think we both walked alongside the other without really realizing that was what we were doing. Were it not for that subconscious effort, I'd certainly fallen behind. I doubt either of us would have admitted it if somebody were to ask.

As a group, we did stop and look back as the Thunderhawk lifted into the air, leaving us behind. I watched it fly away, not lamenting my decision to come here. Even the encounter with Aurelia had been nothing but a learning experience. So far, this had been nothing but exhilarating.

I lingered a few seconds, looking up into the vast blue sky. It wasn't the beauty of nature that held me. Slowly, I turned my head downwards, till I looked out across the mountain ranges. We were in the middle of the largest of them. All around, huge peaks towered up, most capped with sheets of white snow.

Already a brisk wind chilled me, the only thing that kept the temperature to a reasonable level was the light of the sun. Truthfully, I had no idea where I was on Macragge. My home could have been in any direction. _Goodbye,_ I thought, turning back to face the others. But at the same time, I couldn't help but lighten myself up, _Albina, I guess I might be seeing you sooner than you thought._

My feet treaded softly across the hard ground. I didn't stumble my way back, but I did dawdle just a little Eyes cast down, I made my way back to the group. "Are you scared?" A familiar voice asked me.

In surprise, I looked up at Aurelia. It appeared to me that it was concern I saw on her face. Hesitating, I mumbled, "Yes…"

"..." She opened her mouth to say something more, then shut it suddenly.

"Why aren't you scared?" I asked. That made Aurelia wince. She shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her fist clenched up. I almost backed away from her.

Then she was turning away. I saw how it was, and decided to not pursue her anymore. But she stopped mid-turn. "Because I don't think things can get any worse. Things will only get better."

My legs shaking, I walked up alongside her. "What happened to you?" I asked. Immediately, I knew I'd gone too far. Aurelia faced forwards, and started walking. I walked alongside her. Or maybe she walked alongside me.

The girl had waited for me, so we quickly rejoined the others. The group, in a loose grouping that resembled more a tattered mob at this point, was gathered before one of the gates.

We all jumped when it rumbled open. The two huge pieces of metal slid backwards, then parted off to either side. Our muscles tightened up, our breath was held tight, and all eyes were on what was revealed.

A girl barely taller than any of us was standing there. Her height seemed to come from the gold and blue armor she was clad in. The girl's face had a stern expression, sharp green eyes piercing all of us. Almost every person she stared at flinched, save for the blonde who still tightly held her friend's hand.

From what I could see, behind her, that girl returned the gaze just as fiercely. The one in armor, whoever she was, cracked a grin at that. It disappeared in the next second, though. Even Aurelia was put off by the stare she received. I almost wanted to duck away and hide, but something inside me told me that the girl would certainly notice.

The first words out of her mouth were in a loud commanding tone. Even if I didn't know her to be a mage knight, I'd have followed any orders that came from that mouth. "I see that we have a nice little…arrangement going on here. Could we perhaps form ourselves into two specific rows?" She crossed her arms, waiting till the task was done.

A few immediately moved, while others hesitatingly looked about, and still others cowered towards the rear. I was about to be in the third group. Then I saw Aurelia marching forwards to the front, as if she hadn't a care in the world. Something in my mind pulled me after her, and I followed the instinct.

That was why I found myself in the middle of the front of the two rows. Each consisted of ten girls. A brief glance up and down the row revealed no one that stood out, save for the two who still held hands. The blonde looked the least concerned out of any of the twenty of us. Her fingers were intertwined with those of a girl who looked frightened, but she did find courage in the one beside her.

"Good," the girl in armor commented, now walking forwards. She hadn't lightened up one bit, and her harsh gaze seemed to criticize every detail of every one of us. I did my best to look attentive with my arms at my sides and my back ramrod straight.

Pausing a few feet in front of the first row, the girl spoke again, "My name is Sergeant Germana. That's the only way you need to refer to me, so it's really the only thing you need to know." She took a deep breath. "I expect all of you to respect me properly."

My heart leapt into my throat. I started to understand something rather obvious, that there were things I had to go through before I could just go out onto the battlefield. Almost invisibly, she raised and slammed her foot onto the ground.

I think I heard one or two people almost scream. One of those might have been me, but I couldn't have told one way or another, given the reaction we all had. In an instant, we all seemed to move up and down, the few stances of attention being suddenly broken.

 _We're all just teenage girls, aren't we?_ It was a simple fact, but I hadn't really wrapped my head around it before. "You." Germana suddenly said. Had it been me I think I might have screamed. Luckily, it was a girl further down. The blonde. She looked unfazed.

It was amazing that while the Sergeant didn't shout, her voice managed to be the loudest I'd ever heard in my life. "What's with you?" The Sergeant wondered, "Think you're so special because you're holding someone's hand? Does that make you feel better?"

The girl tensed up, then replied. Chills went down my spine as I heard the reply. I not only heard the venom in her voice, but also came to the realization that there was no way the Sergeant would accept it. "I don't see myself as special here. Having someone important to me does make you feel better, but I'd prefer that you not speak of her in such a manner."

"Such a manner?" Germana quoted, leaning back. "Ohhhh…" she sighed. The girl shook her head while a hand came up to her face. Suddenly the hand was gone. Her thunderous reply made me quake. "You will not speak to me in 'such a manner', do you understand?"

The blonde nodded. "I believe I do," She replied, shaking just a little.

"What's your name?" Germana demanded.

"Mariana," Leaning my head out from the row, I could see the girl beside Mariana shifting uncomfortably, looking back and forth from the two. Almost like she knew what was going to happen.

Germana looked to Mariana's side, "And who's your precious little-" An audible crack rang in all our ears. It was immediately accompanied by a cry of pain. Mariana clutched at her left wrist, her hand bending in an unnatural way. From what I'd seen, she'd raised the hand to strike, but Germana had broken it without even looking.

Still, Mariana didn't back down. I swear I saw tears in her eyes, but she tore her right hand away and grabbed onto her companion's hand. That silver-haired girl shook for a second more, then relaxed for seemingly no reason. Mariana was the target of the Sergeant's ire, but the silver-haired one seemed to be certain everything was fine. "You'd strike me because I insult her?" Germana asked, almost astounded.

Mariana nodded. "I've protected her for years. I'm not stopping now." The sergeant paused in thought. Then she grabbed Mariana's wrist, flicking her hands again. Mariana grunted once more, but the bone was back where it should have been. A gentle glow rose up around the bone as Germana healed it.

"I apologize for doing this," she said gently, "It was not at all my place to intervene." Mariana was surprised, but didn't complain. "Please, continue to carry such a strong belief."

The sergeant then looked at the rest of us. She seemed to be disappointed. "Are any of you willing to do that? Would any of you do that for someone else?" she asked.

Not a single hand was raised. "Then why are you here?!" Germana screamed. "That's what we magical girls do, is put our lives in the line for the sake of others. If you are not willing to do that, then none of you should have contracted." She marched back down the row, running her eyes along everyone there.

Germana fell on Aurelia. Stopping right in front of the girl, the Sergeant spun smoothly on her heel to face her. "So, tell me, why are you here?"

Aurelia hesitated in finding an answer. She rocked unsteadily on her feet, till she responded, "Because I want to protect people important to me."

"Then why didn't you respond earlier?" Germana wondered.

Weighing her options, Aurelia picked one and went with it. "Because you're not a threat to them."

"A practical one, huh?" Germana asked. She noticed my attentiveness to Aurelia. Turning to me, she wondered, "How about you, why are you here?"

"Well…" I took a deep breath, "I want to protect people, certainly, but my main motive is to learn as much as I can about the universe."

Germana rolled her eyes as if I was an idiot. "Then why not join the Inquisition?"

I shuddered under her glare, "Well…" I muttered, body shaking. "I was scared, because of what I've heard about them." I did my best to avert her gaze, but didn't entirely. I was afraid to face her directly and afraid to turn away from her.

The Sergeant nodded. "Alright then, hope you have fun." She turned away from me, moving on to someone else. I watched her, still shaking wildly. Looking over to Aurelia, I hoped to gain some confidence form her example. But that girl's eyes were empty, just staring down at the ground.

It looked like something in her had been awakened, something that hurt to think of. I wanted to intrude, but I thought of what had happened before. Germana went around chewing out every single person there. I kept glancing out of the corner of my eyes at Aurelia. After a little while, she seemed like she was back to normal, but I don't think I could call that much better.

I was so caught up in thought that I didn't notice Germana standing in front of us once more. Again, her harsh gaze made me shiver. "Well, all of you seem to be somewhat capable, at least somewhat firm in your beliefs." A beat. "Keep that with you, and if you can, get only stronger."

The girl turned around, "Follow me," she ordered, walking through the open gate. No one wanted to disobey. No one did. I looked around as she led us through the camp, while the rows tightened up into a clump. The camp consisted of a few large buildings, with a large open space in the middle.

Just bordering this, to the side of my vision, was perhaps the largest building, a u-shaped structure. Two rectangular parts, and then another rectangle in the middle. It was the space in the middle of this shape where Germana stopped. A good fifty feet separated the two parts of the 'u', and each building was twenty feet long.

The sergeant pointed to the open space, "Line up in the rows there, same order as before." I was aware of who I'd stood beside, so it wasn't hard to regain the same position. As soon as the twenty of us had finished, Germana nodded. "I hope you got a good look at your surroundings, you shall spend the next three years of your life here."

She herself looked around for a moment, then continued. "That being said, I doubt that you will find that time to be a long one. As we shall begin immediately." Germana instructed, "Within your row, so each group of ten," She spoke as if we were children. We were, so there wasn't much to complain about. "Find another person and partner with them. I don't care who it is, make the choice on your own."

My selection process consisted of turning to the side. Aurelia had already done the same, but then backed off. It occurred to me that the look on my face had been a reluctant one. "No, it's not you," I said to her, "I'm just a bit worried, that's all."

Aurelia seemed to understand, but said nothing. A couple minutes passed as the others spent a bit more time. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Germana asked. "Now, look at that person you selected. This is your partner for the next three years."

Aurelia and I looked each other in the eyes as a commotion passed through all of us. I'm not sure that either of us liked it, but given that we'd just met hours ago, I hoped that we'd grow closer. Only barely had I finished wrapping my head around the situation before Germana started talking again. "Now, you should be perfectly capable of following an order to the letter. On the other hand, you should be entirely loyal to your comrades, not wavering in the slightest in that respect." Waiting for a moment, she then said, "You should also be entirely capable of striking down one of your comrades at the drop of a hat." That shook us all, I like to think.

"Therefore, we shall start things off by developing those tenets." Germana explained. Her gaze ran over all of us. Not a word was said as we suffered another wave of the look. "I'd like all of you to look the other one of you in the eye, and strike them. From there, I'd like you continue attacking one another until one is no longer capable of fighting. No magic and no killing. Otherwise, anything goes."

We all froze. A few of us adopted fighting stances, ready to attack or be attacked. Aurelia did just that, shifting her weight. She knew what she was doing. "Come on," Germana demanded, "I'm not kidding. Unless you'd like to leave, then follow orders." The humiliation of leaving now wasn't an option.

I looked at Aurelia. "Please…" I said quietly, "Don't hurt me too much." Aurelia nodded. It was obvious that she was going to have trouble with this as well. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to run away. Mimicking her stance as best I could, I tried to lighten things, "Just imagine I'm reading your mind again."

Through either coincidence or Aurelia's intention, the first strike came at me the moment that sentence finished. I'd read books that had fighting in them, but the most experience I had was the short scuffle coming here. And somehow, despite not being angry, Aurelia seemed more deadly here. So while I raised my arms to obstruct the blow, I was surprised to discover the amount of pain that came with being hit.

Then I doubled over as Aurelia's other first slammed into my stomach. She grabbed my hair and slammed my face downwards into her knee. I heard a distinctive crack, before I toppled to the ground. From my position there, even as I grasped for my broken nose, I gazed at Germana. She didn't even seem to care.

But a part of me had forgotten that this was just a trial forced upon me. My leg struck out at Aurelia above me, who stumbled back, hit in the chest. Struggling to my feet I leapt at her, striking wildly at her face with my fist. Aurelia easily sidestepped it, her left first knocking across my face, sending me off balance.

She pivoted smoothly, driving her right fist into my chest. In a split second, the air was knocked from my lungs and I stumbled back again. The pain had gotten to my head at this point. The world was just a blur as pain coursed through my body.

I vaguely heard a cry rising from my throat as I leapt at Aurelia. I felt another impact on my body, but my mass and speed sent us both to the ground. One of my hands wrapped around one of her wrists while my other hand slammed my knuckles into her face.

Fingers wrapped around my throat, I felt my breathing stop as they clamped down. Pushing myself off of Aurelia and away from her grip, my hands carried my backwards across the ground, my leg kicking out. She just took the hit, wrapping her arms around the limb.

As she stood up, her arms were twisting the leg. The sharp pain that followed incited me to turn over onto my stomach. Before I could get back up, Aurelia was atop me, arms wrapped around my neck. In a second, I couldn't breathe anymore.

Ineffectively, I tried to strike at Aurelia, but the world was quickly going dark. Fear coursed through my body as the world started to go dark, and my limbs felt weak. I was more scared than I'd ever been in my life. I realized I was about to pass out. _She's really going to kill me, isn't she?_ I thought, as the last milliseconds of light faded from my eyes.

Then I could breathe. My lungs lit up with warmth as I gasped in a breath, collapsing. I couldn't feel Aurelia atop me anymore, but I didn't have the strength to open my eyes and see where she was. "Are you alright?" I heard Germana's voice, a hand on my shoulder.

I reached out with my hand, at the same time groaning as I opened my eyes. My breathing had returned to normal, and light been restored to the world. Slowly, I became aware of the pairs of legs that stood all around me. "She's fine," Germana confirmed.

There was a thump, a figure suddenly appearing on the ground a few feet away. I knew it was Aurelia. Germana's hand was wrapped around her throat, from the look on Aurelia's face those fingers were holding on tight. "Do you understand what you just did?" The Sergeant asked, "Do you know?"

Aurelia nodded her head, only barely. That was all she could do from where she was. Having regained my own strength, I pushed myself upwards, unsteadily sitting upright as I looked down at Aurelia. The Sergeant took her hand away. "Tell me why."

Aurelia glanced over to me, then quickly back to Germana. "An instinct…" She muttered, indifferently. There'd been a look of shame on her face, but it had disappeared. Now it looked closer to mere annoyance. I pulled myself closer to her, trying to look her in the eyes. Aurelia turned her head away, "Self-defense," she said, "I…I've had some bad experiences."

"And you can't control yourself?" Germana asked. Every word was spoken with enough force to crush any of us. I couldn't stand by.

I edged closer, "But…I couldn't either," I protested, "I attacked her like she was an enemy. Because I felt the pain and I…" I really couldn't say more because I didn't know. Germana turned her head to face me. Her disapproving stare made me shake.

"You'd defend her?" the Sergeant asked. "Someone who did that to you?"

"I want things to be equal," I said. I shook my head, "It's not her I care about, but I don't want to hide my own fault." Germana looked back to Aurelia for a few seconds, then delivered her verdict.

"Vergiana, what you did was alright, it was a natural response to experiencing something like this for the first time. What Aurelia did was not." With that, Germana stood up and announced, "The people around you are the people you must be capable of fighting together with. But do not think that things like this drive you further apart."

She focused her eyes on me. "You are still her partner, this changes nothing. It's your job to figure this out." The girl clapped her hands together, speaking loudly again, "Alright, line back up, that's enough of that."

I walked past Aurelia, not looking at her. Fear was what sped me past her, both of what she could do and what she might be hiding. _I should have known from the beginning,_ I told myself. Aurelia and I adopted our positions back in the line. But things were quite entirely different now.

We both stood there before looking to the other silently for support. Now we hoped to avert the other as much as possible.

* * *

End Chapter 4 of Record

* * *

The air was pervaded with uneasiness as they made their way to their destination. "Are you certain?" Ingwe asked. Columbine rolled her eyes.

"What choice do we have?" She replied, "All we can do is follow the orders we've been given." She slammed her fist into her open palm, gritting her teeth. "There's obviously some vendetta at stake here, and I wouldn't be surprised if Ciuatl and Columbine are working together."

Ingwe nodded, "We're almost certainly being played here. The question is who?" She looked around, then said quietly, "We're going to have to assume that everybody might be lying."

"That's what we do anyways," Columbine said, "The problem here is that they may not actually be lying. We have to be careful not to take this too far, or suspect Astikai of motives she doesn't have. That's all we can do at this point."

They stopped before turning the next corner, knowing what lay beyond. "we move quickly. We're on direct orders from Astikai, so all we can hope is that she'll comply." Columbine explained, then added, "And hope Ciuatl will too."

"And if Ciuatl gives up without a fight, we know something's afoot. But I doubt she'll be that obvious, so we can expect some resistance." Ingwe shook her head. "This is really bad."

Columbine grinned, "I know. Dealing with Margareta's preferable to getting wrapped up in Astikai's games. But fear not, we'll put a bullet in her eventually." She turned the corner, and Ingwe followed right behind.

They strode side by side, moving through the living quarters of the ship. Each of the five groups there had their own section, the Tzeentchians having chosen to isolate themselves entirely by making it into effectively its own self-contained living space.

The ship's master key in her hand, the doors opened before her. The room before them was like a common room of sorts. A few couches sat about, a few tables and chairs. There were six of them on the ship, so one could say the space they had was a bit much.

A girl immediately looked up from one of the couches. Columbine had a picture of Ushio in her head. "Ushio?" She demanded as soon as she saw the girl wasn't who she sought.

Hesitating for a brief second, it only took Ingwe stepping forwards to get her to point to one of the two doors. Columbine and her partner strode through, seeing a hallway with more doors on either side. "First on the right." The girl called to them, standing up shakily.

Columbine knocked on the door, before stepping back. Ingwe pressed herself against the wall beside the door, a revolver flashing into existence in her hands. Barely a second passed before a piercing voice cut through their focus.

"And what might you be doing?" Ciuatl asked. Though the girl rarely talked, it was not due to lack of speaking ability. One could say it was obvious why she never spoke, for her words caused both girls to pull all their attention from the door.

In the doorway leading from the common room, the dark-haired girl stood with crossed arms. The look she had might have made the Goddess cower in fear. The door opened, revealing a girl with a head of orange-brown hair looking out. "Huh?" She asked, adjusting her glasses and brushing a couple locks from her face.

"Ushio Uzuki is suspected of acting against Lady Astikai and the common good of this crew." Columbine explained. "As such, she shall be detained and interrogated until the truth is revealed." Ushio gasped at this, but Ingwe suddenly turning to put the barrel of her gun but a few inches from the girl's face shut her up.

Columbine stepped forwards as Ingwe waved Ushio out of the room. "If you do not comply, then you shall be assumed to be acting on her side." The blonde explained.

Ciuatl looked at Ushio. "Do what they say. But remember everything they do." She stepped forwards, Columbine stepping in her way. The two locked eyes, till Ciuatl whispered, "If I wanted to, I could vaporize the both of you. Let me by."

Not saying a word, Columbine stepped to the side, keeping her eyes on Ciuatl the entire time. The Tzeentchian didn't seem to even notice, simply walking up to Ushio. Her hand came up underneath the girl's chin. "If you lied to me, just say it now, and I'll make your death easy."

Ushio nearly collapsed in fright at what was going on, but managed to stammer out, "I-I didn't betray you, or anyone else!" She said. Ciuatl nodded.

"Let's both hope you're speaking the truth." She turned around, exiting the situation as smoothly as she had entered it. Columbine waved for Ingwe to get behind the girl, while the blonde would lead.

Ushio looked like she had no idea what was occurring. _Which is a good thing,_ Columbine thought, _though I guess she couldn't have seen this coming, seeing as how we're in the warp._ Nevertheless, it was better than for her to seem like she knew why.

Ingwe was standing outside Astikai's room itself. A blindfold was over Ushio's eyes, while Columbine held her tightly beside the door. "So, Ushio…" Astikai started, "I think that you convinced Ciuatl to convince me to come here for a reason. That reason being to attempt to destroy me."

"I never did anything of that sort." Ushio said, her voice cracking up. "At least, not like that. I told her we should come to Nibelung, but that was merely because I saw that good fortune would come."

A few seconds passed before Astikai replied. "Interesting. So far, not much good has come to us. Really, it's just been trouble."

"Then I was mistaken!" Ushio cried, "I'm sorry. There's not much I can do now except apologize."

"Tell me who sent you." Astikai said. Columbine kept her patience. _This questioning is pointless,_ she thought, _there's no way it will get anything out of this girl. I doubt she actually did anything anyways._

"Ma'am," She spoke up, "This is rather pointless. If she did anything, she won't be revealing it now. I suggest you give Ingwe and me some time with her. We'll ensure that she talks, if she has anything to say at all."

Astikai shrugged. "Fine, go do that." Columbine saluted, before turning Ushio around and walking her out of the room. Ingwe was looking as they came out.

"Quick," she remarked.

"It wasn't going anywhere," Columbine explained, "Now we need to figure out what to do with her." She removed the blindfold from Ushio, who immediately cowered.

"Face me," Ingwe said. Columbine grabbed the girl's shoulders, facing her towards Ingwe. Like a predator summing up its prey, Ingwe ran her eyes over Ushio. "I doubt she did anything," The girl concluded. "At least not what we accuse her of."

"So we take her back, pretend to spend some time with her, then we come back and say she's innocent." Columbine concluded. _Astikai won't be pleased until she's certain we've tried everything._ Columbine knew that well enough.

Ushio was once again marched off, a bit less scared now. "So…so you think I'm innocent?" She asked.

Ingwe chuckled. "It's not like you're getting away easily. Until there's not a single bit of suspicion, you're going to suffer."

Ushio trembled. "But-but,"

"Just stay quiet." Columbine advised, "It's easier that way."

* * *

Ushio's eyes were wide. Her entire face was twisted in a state of shock. It'd been like that for a while now. The room she sat in was dark, a single light on the ceiling. She was secured as best as any magical girl could be secured to a chair in the middle of the small space.

Watching from the side, legs crossed, sat Columbine on her own chair. Ingwe was the one standing, currently sighing as she took a step back from the bloodied girl. Every bit of Ushio's body trembled and shook as she gasped for breath amidst her pain.

"So, Ushio," Ingwe had done this many times, "Feel like talking now?"

"There's nothing more to say to you." Ushio stammered out, her head drooping down. Ingwe glanced at Columbine, shrugging.

"I really don't think there's anything more in her." Ingwe said.

Columbine shook her head. She got to her feet. "Then why are we still here? It's been obvious for a while that she didn't do the silly crime Astikai accused her of." She knelt down beside Ushio's chair, propping the girl's head back up. "No, there's something else at stake."

She turned the girl's eyes to face her own. "Come on," She insisted, "Speak to me." Her voice was gentle now. "What is it you're really hiding here?" Ushio shook her head.

"Nothing at all," She insisted. The despair was obvious in her voice. Columbine stood up. She looked at Ingwe, taking a deep breath.

"What do you think?" She asked her.

Ingwe shrugged. "I honestly can't say. There might still be something in there, but I highly doubt that what Astikai is looking for is there. Ushio's convinced that there was a good reason to come here, but I can't say what that reason really was."

"Agreed," Columbine sighed, "Good fortune doesn't sound right. She had to have told Ciuatl something."

"The problem is that we can't do this to Ciuatl." Ingwe pointed out. She crossed her arms, looking about the room. "Do you want to try talking to her?"

"I will." Columbine turned to the door, hesitating for a brief second before exiting. "Stay here, guard her. Even if she is just working for somebody else, then we can't be sure who else here might be on the same side."

Ingwe nodded, waving farewell to Columbine. The blonde stepped out into the hallway, looking around briefly before hurrying away.

"Who was it this time?" a voice called. Reflexes were triggered, a strike crossing the gap before barely being caught by the speaker. Struggling to hold Columbine's fist in her hands, Cherepia spoke, "One of the Tzeentchians? Ciuatl went in to speak to Astikai."

Withdrawing her punch, Columbine didn't reply. She just started walking away. "Come on!" Cherepia jogged after her, "What's going on?"

Columbine turned on her heel, shoving her face right into Cherepia's. "Nothing at all," She said, "At least, nothing that someone as unimportant as you would need to know."

Cherepia gritted her teeth. "You think that hurts?"

"It obviously does." Columbine observed. Then she ordered, "Now stop whining, and get back in line. I'm going to speak to Ciuatl, come with me."

"Why come with you?"

"Because you're not afraid of anything." Columbine explained, not giving anymore explanation. For a couple seconds, Cherepia glanced back to the room Columbine had emerged from, then hurried after her commander.

Ciuatl sat in the common room. The moment Columbine and Cherepia entered, the other girls were sent off. It was just the three of them. Columbine sat down across from Ciuatl, while Cherepia leaned over the back of the couch, her head sitting right beside Columbine's.

"So why did you two come to see me?" Ciuatl had been flipping through a book. 'Had' would be incorrect, though, as she still was. Every once in a while, the girl would glance back up at Columbine.

"We need to speak about Ushio. And exactly what you know about her." Columbine explained.

"What need is there for the brute?" Her head still turned downwards, Ciuatl's eyes still stared Cherepia down. The girl didn't budge an inch.

Columbine explained, "She's interested too." The blonde leaned back, crossing her arms and legs. "But really, I feel there's more to Ushio than it seems. She's not just being suspected of working for some outside party to sabotage us. There's something else in her head too, isn't there?"

"Weren't you _just_ 'asking' her?" Ciuatl stared back down at the tome.

Cherepia suddenly cut in. "How about you give us some amount of respect?" she demanded. "I get that even talking to lowly beings like us is too much for you, but this is about one of your own girls. Do you not care at all?"

Ciuatl looked up in an instant. Cherepia held her ground, something that Columbine could only commend her for. "Now that you're at least looking at us." The blonde said, "Perhaps you can explain to me who Ushio really is?"

"What could she possibly be?" Ciuatl's glare now turned to Columbine. It wasn't lost on the Tzeentchian that Cherepia moved her hand onto Columbine's shoulder, but at least Columbine held her ground.

"That's the question I want you to answer. Ingwe and I feel like she's hiding something, and it's not what Astikai is accusing her of hiding." Columbine explained. "Being her commander, I figure you might know something about her."

"I know nothing of what you seem to believe I do. I can talk all day about what kind of person she was, but she really wasn't the kind to engineer something like that. She's a diviner with a high talent for magical programming, and some interesting ideas. If I get permission from her, I can show you her notes." Ciuatl explained.

 _Bingo,_ Columbine thought as soon as the notes were mentioned. "Then come along with us. You can speak to her."

"When she's released, I'll ask her." Ciuatl countered. "And since you detained her on an unrelated charge and have since found that she's not guilty, I really ought to go complain directly to Astikai." Then her eyes went back to Cherepia. "Or maybe you can carry it right back to her for me?"

That made the girl angry. Her mouth opened up, words ready to be thrown out. Columbine held up her hand. "Don't bite," she said. The girl stood up. "Fine, then we shall explain to Astikai that she is innocent, and she shall be returned to you as fast as possible."

Columbine was the first to the door, saying as she stepped out, "Thank you for your _cooperation._ " Cherepia would throw an angry glare at the girl on her way out as well.

As they were out, Columbine turned to Cherepia. "Thank you for that." Then she was walking away, leaving the other girl to figure out exactly what to do.

* * *

Columbine carefully entered the room, locking the door behind her. Ingwe stood beside the chair. It still had Ushio atop it, who looked better than before. "Good news," Columbine said, "The truth has come to light." She gave a knowing glance at Ingwe, who immediately knew what to do.

"Back to Astikai?" She asked. Columbine nodded, waving for Ushio to stand up. Ingwe undid the bonds holding the girl, who then immediately stood up. She didn't look angry. Columbine and her locked eyes for a few seconds, both assessing the other.

The blonde girl had to turn around before Ushio saw the slight grin on her face. "Alright then, just follow me." Columbine ordered as she opened the door. Ingwe behind Ushio, the three exited the room.

"I hope you understand our position," the girl in tan spoke as she lead on. "If there is any potential of a threat in the ranks, it's our job to handle the threat." Not patronizing, not cold, nor too apologetic, her tone sat somewhere in between.

Ushio sighed. "I do understand. Sorry for causing you so much trouble in the first place." She shrunk her stature down as they walked, trying to appear as small as possible. Every now and then, she briefly glanced to either side and behind.

The trio entered into the dining hall, and Ingwe stood beside the opposite doors as Columbine knocked. "Come in." Astikai called. She briefly tied a blindfold around Ushio's head, and then ushered the girl in.

Astikai sat on the edge of her bed, legs swinging back and forth. She resembled a child, with the expression on her face. The girl in the cage looked worried as she saw Ushio enter, her eyes not leaving the girl's form.

Bowing, Columbine announced. "I've spoken with her, and met with Ciuatl. After that, I've come to a verdict." Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Ushio tense up. _Of course, I never told her what that verdict was._ She dragged the wait out for as long as possible, seeing what Ushio might do in reply.

Ushio stood there, her muscles obviously tensed, but didn't make another move. Columbine stood up straight, and declared, "I find Ushio Uzuki guilty of all charges." The girl in the cage only looked aside sadly, as if she'd known long ago.

Astikai grinned at that. "Well then, she's yours."

"Huh?" Columbine asked, legitimately surprised.

"She's yours." The brunette repeated, hopping up. "I don't want to kill her, she's our only diviner and she could come in handy. Besides, whoever sent her might want her back. Could be a useful bargaining chip."

Columbine nodded. "So you want me to…?" Ushio was looking around in shock. Her body was shaking.

"Just take care of her. Keep her restrained, move her in with yourself. Watch everything she does." Astikai explained, speaking like this was all a childish game, "Quite simple, really. I don't want to dispose of her anyway, just seems rude. After she did such a good job of tricking us all."

Her arms clapped against her sides as she snapped to attention. Columbine saluted. "Yes ma'am." Ushio spun to face Columbine, hands reaching up for the blindfold. Columbine grabbed her before she could take it down. She leaned in close, whispering. "Don't, it's not for our safety, it's for yours."

Ushio stopped, dropping her hands. She still complained. "Ma'am, Columbine has not even provided you with any evidence. She hasn't even named the person who supposedly sent me. How can I be found guilty when nothing points to me having done anything?"

Astikai laughed. A real, genuine laugh as if somebody had made a joke. "You don't seem to understand your position. You were the one who made the recommendation for us to enter this sector. Nothing but bad has come so far. Therefore, whether or not you actually did it intentionally or not, I'm still angry at you. Maybe after you suffer things out, I'll be willing to put some faith in you again."

Astikai turned to face the cage, suddenly entranced by the figure within. "Get out." She ordered. Columbine saluted once again, before dragging Ushio out of the room. She clamped a hand down over the girl's mouth to silence any further protest.

Columbine heard nothing of the words spoken afterwards, Ushio far too astounded to do anything but try and preach her case, thus drowning out anything of what might have been said afterwards.

* * *

The final year of the Nibelung Civil War would mark one thousand and eleven years since the Treuen Conflict in that sector. It is safe to say that while nobody there remembered the events, the knowledge of it was clear in their minds.

-Excerpt from _The Nibelung Incident,_ circa M41.802


	7. Truces

When it comes down to it, the intention of the training camps being the way they are has not only been to build a spirit of camaraderie amongst the girls, but also to build real relationships. Having them see each other as comrades is fine for soldiers, but magical girls are literally powered by emotions. Having a wide spread of emotional experiences will only increase one's power, we've confirmed that time and time again.

Therefore, changing the format would really be pointless. There's no need to make them stricter or focus on molding the girls in a certain way. The intention is to give each one the power and skills she needs to survive and fight effectively. This process must be natural, and forced as little as possible. That's why we do what we do.

-Lifewardens Planning Meeting, Librarium Training Division Head Alymatia Ungird

* * *

Our friendship was gone. I could see that clearly enough. Whatever bond that had been so quickly established had been just as quickly torn apart. The sensations that coursed through my heart and mind was an alien one. I didn't quite understand how something could be created and destroyed in such a short order.

 _The most unfortunate part is what we must work as partners,_ I thought to myself of that avoidable truth. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to give up just because of that. _If she'd just apologize and stop acting so selfish, it'd all be fine. But no, it's probably my fault._

If it weren't for Germana's lecturing, I'd have gotten Aurelia to see the light by now. But we'd been lined up once again for some unknown purpose. It was hard to stand up, my fatigue from the fighting and the amount of time spent without food was starting to get to me. But I didn't dare fall down. _At least not when nobody else has._

The sun had been covered up by a growing number of clouds. I accepted the respite, but my hopes were somewhat dashed when I noticed the darkness of those clouds. _If it were to rain when we're just standing here…_ I just focused on Germana pacing back and forth. The moment was better than the future.

"I'm happy that all of you were actually capable of doing that, and without seriously injuring other, save for a couple of you. I won't say that I'm going to make you hurt what you will come to know as friends ever again, but it will certainly not be every day." Germana smiled. "Good job at your first task."

She paced back and forth in front of us, hands clasped behind her back. "It seems that most of you haven't actually transformed yet. How about you go and do that now." I got ahead to doing that immediately. Fingers wrapped around my ring, I willed myself to change.

A white flash stripped me of the clothes I wore, replacing them with clothes not too dissimilar from the ones I was wearing. First, I felt my high-heeled shoes, expensive and delicate, disappear. They were replaced by shoes that felt as if they were made of glass, but with similar shape and design.

The torn dress was replaced by a multi-layered skirt that reached to my knees. Each layer of the skirt was a different color and length. The topmost was iron-colored, and barely reached down my thighs. The next went half-way down, and was of a silver coloration. The next layer traveled the rest of the journey to my knees, and was a pale white color.

A white and silver coat covered my torso. It looked like the suit of a prince. Buttons ran up the middle of it, and the coat appeared with each of them already buttoned up. The collar was folded down around my neck, and the sleeves covered my entire arm. My blue gem was located in the middle of the chest of the coat, and was secured neatly in a slot cut out for it. My hands were covered with white gloves, with the same paleness as other parts of the uniform. My hair and head were left untouched, my hair in the same place as it was before.

Despite my intent on avoiding her, I glanced to the side. To my surprise, I saw Aurelia glancing at me as well. Not meeting each other's eyes, we looked at each other for a few seconds, then turned back.

On her torso she wore a long-sleeved blouse, colored in the same shade as her hair. The clothing was tight around her body, and frilled at the neck and wrists. A burnt orange scarf was around her neck, tied off so as to trail down the middle of her body. A long orange skirt went down to the knees, covering the tops of brownish stockings. Her feet wore short black boots, while her hands were bare.

Pretending to not be impressed, I blew my cheeks out as I put on an air of superiority. Meanwhile, Germana waited as we finished ogling each other. "We can continue anytime," She dryly commented. That got everyone to pay attention.

"Good," Germana commented. "Now, we're going to see what weapons you can summon. I already know what each of you can do in terms of magic, but I'd like to see what your weapon is. Just think about it, and it will happen."

I held my right hand out. All it took was a single thought, and there was a blue flash that stretched the entire length of the newly-formed weapon. My hand grasped around a scabbard. Checking the weapon quickly revealed it to be a curved blade. I didn't recognize it in the slightest.

Once again, Aurelia and I instantly turned our heads to the side. And once again, we both pretended that we didn't really care. She was holding a pair of pistols in her hands. Germana instantly walked forwards, down at the left end of my row, and started looking. It was clear immediately that this was going to take some time. I merely hoped that my legs would hold out that long.

The first girl she spoke to was holding a double-bladed sword. Apparently if she willed it a certain way, it'd somehow fold out into a bow. I didn't come close to understanding the sense or physics behind that, but given that this was magic I didn't think it mattered.

The next one had a huge bow, taller than her. It looked like it could fire an arrow the width of my arm. Yet she held it upright like a child might hold up a stick.

One girl could summon huge swords, about as wide as her body, while the one next to her wielded a long halberd. My heart was for some reason in my throat as I waited. Finally Germana came to Aurelia and me, in the middle of the line.

"Interesting," the sergeant commented, taking one the pistols and spinning it around one finger. "Seem to be multiple summon, have to see about fire rate and actual power, but it'll be effective given your partner's weapon." She then looked to me. I handed her the blade.

The sergeant withdrew the curved sword from its scabbard. "Very nice," She commented, "A bit contrasting with your telepathy, but you'll learn. A katana, by the way, if you didn't know the name." She then stepped aside. I shut my eyes, exhaling a long pent-up breath. The slightest bit of attention from her always made my heart race.

But it was over, at least for now. She went down the rest of the row, and then it was time for the second one. The highlights of the other four included Mariana's weapon, which was some ancient energy rifle from the Golden Age, the sniper rifle of her companion, whose name I heard to be Priscilla, and the fact that one girl had no weapon at all. She was a pyromancer, manipulating fire instead of having a specific weapon.

Despite the interesting knowledge I gleaned, the standing was taking its toll. The potential rain also made me uncomfortable, and made me hope that this would somehow end in us going somewhere that would provide at least some shelter. Instead, the minutes dragged on and on. The sky darkened more and more in that time, but that was mainly because of the passing hours. I realized that we had gotten here slightly after noon, given the time spent flying around and the change in time zones.

It had been perhaps an hour so far, so I imagined that there was plenty of time left before the night. _And even then, who says we'll stop to rest?_ I shuddered at the thought. The reality of this place had come crashing in quite quickly. _Better sooner rather than later._

It was a little bit more before Germana was standing in front of us all once again. "Well ladies, that was interesting. But, it's been a while since you all got here, and you've been through a lot already. Therefore, I shall give you something of a respite. If you'd turn around and face the building behind you." The first to realize it was a command led the rest in doing so. "I shall give you thirty minutes to rest, you'll find food in there. After that, it's back outside. Don't make me be forceful."

We hurried off at those words. Pushing through the glass doors, we found a simple rectangular room, with ten long tables around a large central square-shaped one, five to the left and right of the center. On the central table was an abundance of bread and water, with glasses and plates for all.

I at first winced at what was available, but soon realized that such an attitude would get me nowhere, and conceded to eating. With my plate and glass, I soon realized that there wasn't anyone I knew, or wanted to sit with. Aurelia had went off to a corner, and I figured I'd just find a similar spot, but as I walked, I heard a voice calling me.

"Vergiana, was it?" A gentle voice asked. I turned my head, and saw the silver-haired girl calling me. Priscilla, if I remembered correctly. Mariana was right beside her. They sat at their own table entirely alone. Not surprising given the harsh stare Mariana gave me even as I was beckoned by Priscilla.

"Please sit," she indicated across from her. Unsure of her motives, I sat nonetheless and started picking at the bread. The water was welcomed, but I wasn't used to something as bland as the bread.

I looked over the two. Mariana blond hair was short. It reached halfway down her neck. A red hairband was in her hair. The strands curled inwards, practically framing her face perfectly.

She had brown eyes, and her magical girl uniform was also a pretty sight. She had a yellow, sleeveless blouse on, her arms being covered by a pair of long yellow gloves, like the ones Priscilla wore, but of a different color. A green ribbon was tied at the collar of the blouse, and in the center of the ribbon sat Mariana's green soul gem. Her legs were covered by yellow leggings, while a green skirt went down to her knees.

Priscilla had a particularly interesting outfit. She wore a dress, which was surprising, given that no one else had anything like that. It was a grand ball gown, stretching past her feet and onto the dusty ground. It reminded me of my mother.

The whole thing was of a deep blue hue, and never deviated from this coloration. The gown also covered her entire chest, leaving no skin exposed. Not even her shoulders exposed anything. But this was a guess, given that a short, formal cape, attached at the neck, was covering her shoulders. The cloth reached halfway down Pricilla's torso, and was also of a deep blue color.

Her hands and forearms were covered by a pair of opera gloves of the same shade of blue. The rest of her arms was covered by the cape, but I suspected that the dress had sleeves which also covered the arms.

Her hair was less interesting, but still rather pretty. Her man was tied into a large bun on the back of her head, to which her blue soul gem, was attached. The gem was in the middle of a gold, star-shaped hairpin. It gave a look which rounded out the rest of the outfit rather well.

A part of me instantly regretted taking this seat. Mariana's steady gaze ran over the entire room, assessing everything within it as though it were a threat, but I was clearly the biggest threat of them all, being just across the table from Priscilla.

"So why me?" I asked. Mariana stayed silent. I was happy, as I didn't want to hear the harshness of her voice.

Priscilla took a breath, saying quietly, "You were the most interesting person. The other option was your partner, but Mariana…" She took a breath, "Didn't like her." Upon looking to her for explanation, I was immediately met with a fierce tirade.

"Whatever her story is, anyone who does something like that is not going to be allowed near Priscilla." I wondered why she joined the Mage Knights in the first place. Priscilla would be hard to protect on the battlefield.

Pausing to consider Mariana's words, I continued shortly afterwards. "So you just want someone interesting to talk to?" I asked.

Priscilla nodded, mouth full of bread. She swallowed, "Mariana's trying to get me to…find a friend. Open myself up." She explained meekly. Even as she spoke, she was pressing herself closer to Mariana.

"Oh…" I said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. A weight started to press down on my shoulders as I realized that I wasn't sure what to say. "Well…so you're a bit antisocial then?" My mind at the time didn't comprehend the rudeness of the comment.

Mariana intensified her glare, and I nearly jumped away in fright. "Yes-" Mariana held an arm out and pulled Priscilla close to herself.

"You don't need to say anything," Mariana whispered quietly, "If this is scaring you, then it doesn't have to continue." Prisiclla shook her head, laying a hand on Mariana's shoulder.

"No, please." The silver-haired girl insisted, "I want to do this. I need to…" Her voice trailed away. I shifted in my seat, feeling myself becoming hot. Suddenly the desire to get out into that increasingly cold air rose. But just leaving would have been rude.

The blonde's stare made me flinch again. "Say something like that again and you'll regret it."

Her determination made me not doubt for a second her ability to make me regret the action. I nodded. "I apologize, I'll be more careful in the future."

Priscilla's quiet words interrupted the standoff. "So, Vergiana, what happened between you and Aurelia?" I opened my mouth, but another thought got there first. I wondered how these two, so tightly bound together, were able to fight against one another.

That concern was almost voiced, then I remembered Mariana's warning. "She lost control of herself after I attacked her in a rather violent manner that apparently reminded her of some bad times." I explained, "Well, we both lost control." I shook my head, "But that doesn't excuse her almost killing me."

"But she looks as if she feels bad about it." Priscilla gestured to the girl sitting by herself. "You'd think that she really does want to apologize." Annoyed by her defense, I nevertheless kept my calm.

"I don't want to be with someone violent like that. It's like she enjoys hurting people." I said with a slightly raised voice. Another stare from the blonde sent shivers down my spine.

Quietly, Priscilla pleaded Aurelia's case. "Perhaps she did remember something scary, and I think that's why you should forgive her." Her eyes went wide. She shrunk towards Mariana, falling entirely into her grip. Right then, I knew it was time to leave.

Mariana's voice was barely out of her mouth before I was standing up and apologizing. "Get away now!" I hurried away from the table, nearly running off in fright at the harshness of Mariana's voice. Suddenly realizing the eyes of everyone in the room were on Mariana and me, it was only a short dash to the door and the outside from there.

The sky was dark with clouds, but the rain hadn't started falling yet. Footsteps in the dirt near me made me cry out in fright. Auburn hair framed an emotionless face. "Vergiana," Aurelia said quietly, "We need to talk."

"About what?" I immediately said, wondering when the girl had slipped outside. She stepped towards me, pushing me backwards. Suddenly I realized that I was plastered against the glass walls of the building.

Frowning, I slipped to the side and strode forwards. "We need to come to some kind of resolution." Aurelia explained, walking after me. "We can't keep bickering like this forever." Her voice was calm, logical. What she said made sense.

Reaching the end of the u-shaped structure, I slammed my foot down and turned around. "I don't care. I don't want to speak to you." I spat fiercely.

"We're partners, Vergiana. We have to work together. If we don't handle this ourselves, then Germana will force us to. I'm not a fan of that outcome, so unless you'd rather just leave, this is what we need to do." Aurelia said sternly.

I gritted my teeth while my fingers were clenched together. "We were friends, Aurelia. Then you tore that apart. You think you can just come back and magically put it back together?"

Aurelia looked genuinely surprised as she scoffed, "Friends? We were never friends, Vergiana. What do you think a friend is? Because we were at best acquaintances, nothing more than that!"

"Acquaintances?" I echoed, "What are you talking about?"

She raised her voice in anger. "A friend is someone you can trust! Could you truly trust me? I couldn't trust you in the slightest. We knew each better than we knew the rest, but that was barely anything at all." Aurelia stepped towards me, driving me back a step. "Have you ever even had a friend?" She asked.

I immediately opened my mouth to reply, but stopped myself. Because there wasn't an answer but 'no'. All my life had been spent cooped up, spending time with my sister. We were incredibly close, but that closeness had robbed me of anyone else.

Swaying about in confusion, I almost fell down. Managing to keep my balance, I just shook my head silently, eyes wide. "Really?" Aurelia asked. Then she chuckled. "That's petty. And you think you're all that. Coming here for the sake of knowledge. What a stupid reason to put your life on the line. Just go back home and read some book." She spat. Physically spat, that is, the globule landing on my face.

I felt anger swell up inside me. "But you're the one who attacked me. You're the one who seems to not be able to let go of the past. Did you come here to run away from your fear? You act all aloof and cold and practical, but on the inside you're just a fragile little girl, aren't you?"

"You are too." Aurelia pointed out.

Both of us came to the same conclusion at the same time. "We all are…" We remarked at the same time. Together, we relaxed, breathing slowly and deeply.

"You're still a fool." Aurelia said.

"As are you." I made clear. But we walked towards one another. Tentatively, we reached our hands out towards each other. Begrudgingly, we shook each other's hands.

At the same time, the first drops of rain started to drop down from the clouds above. Even as we stood there staring at one another, the downpour intensified till sheets poured down.

* * *

End Chapter 5 of Record

* * *

The door opened. There was a loud clang of metal on metal as a body hit the ground. Columbine slammed the door shut, flicking the light switch for her room as Ushio got to her feet. "Damned Astikai," She muttered, "Ruining everything."

She slammed her fist against the door. "It was Cherepia, wasn't it? She reacted too rationally. Cherepia had to have told her beforehand. She didn't question anything about Ciuatl and what she said. Either they're working together, or she already knew." Columbine turned around, glaring at Ushio.

The girl yelped, shrinking up. "By the False Goddess!" Columbine shouted, slamming her foot down, "You're forty-three years old, act your age!"

Ushio stood her ground. "I'm just worried about what's going to happen."

"A diviner worried about the future, how-" Columbine cut herself off. _Rather typical,_ she reminded herself, _that a diviner is scared of what they can't see._ "I apologize for that rudeness." She said, pushing Ushio aside and walking across the room, "Take your armor off, it ruins the air of the room." She also gestured to the small shrine in one corner.

Ushio nodded, a flash removing the plate from her body. Underneath the armor was her standard uniform. Colored the same as her hair was a coat over her torso, a tie tucked underneath. A tight skirt went to her knees, the same shade of brownish-orange as the rest. Her hands were bare, while the black sheen of tights was visible on her legs. Neat dress shoes were on her feet.

The girl adjusted her glasses, despite them being perfectly in order. Columbine reached into a cabinet, removing a glass of wine. "What's the problem?" Ushio asked, "Did you have some plan?"

"I was hoping Astikai would ask about what I asked Ciuatl. If she did, it would confirm Cherepia works for her. But she didn't. That means either Cherepia isn't, or she's just as smart as I am." Columbine smirked as she poured the wine into a pair of glasses. "Of course, the latter is the answer."

"What did you ask Ciuatl about?" Ushio questioned. Then she frowned. "Why tell me all this?"

"I'm to keep you under surveillance." Columbine explained. "Which effectively means that you won't be talking to anyone else." She handed a glass to the girl. Staring at it, Ushio took a sip, but instantly recoiled at the bitter taste. She looked sad, as if she rejected the kindness.

"It's fine," Columbine waved her hand, striding to her bed and sitting on the edge. "I could care less." She took a deep breath, swirling the liquid around in its glass. "Ciuatl implied the importance of some notes you kept." The glass fell from Columbine's hands.

She scooped it up effortlessly before she hit the floor, but the shock was still clear. Almost tearing the glass from Ushio's hands, she placed both down, before running to the door. "Ciuatl will be going for those the moment she finds out. Come on!" Columbine shouted, Ushio dutifully following.

Ripping the vox from her pocket, the blonde shouted, "Books converge fog!" Then she was sprinting through the ship, merely hoping Ushio followed. She briefly considered something, before dropping the idea.

* * *

Barely a couple minutes passed before she stood before the entrance to the Tzeentchian's quarters. Ushio came up right behind her, trembling. "What's the importance of those notes?" Columbine asked, "Before we go in?" Ushio hesitated. "If we're going to get along, you need to be forthcoming." The blonde explained. That got her to speak.

Tapping her foot on the ground, adjusting her glasses, Ushio said quietly, "Very important. Perhaps the most important thing to me." Columbine was already opening the door. As it slid open, pounding boots signaled Ingwe.

The girl's guns were in her hands, but Columbine lead the way without a weapon. A couple of the girls stared uncomfortably, seeing Ushio cowering behind Columbine. That told Columbine all she needed to know.

"Another interruption?" The contempt-filled voice of Ciuatl spat out from the hallway. Her arms carried a few stacks of papers. The timing was impeccable. _Too impeccable._ Columbine thought. She wished Cherepia was there to counter the girl.

"Am I late?" that very girl called. Columbine spun around as the girl slipped through the still-open door. _What?_ She thought, looking to Ingwe for an answer. That platinum-haired girl shook her head. _So it was Astikai that told her. She's probably there to get the notes. What is it they want?_

"May I see those papers?" Columbine asked, realizing that she had to move fast before Astikai intervened directly. Ciuatl hesitated, till Ushio spoke.

"I would like to have all my papers. I have been transferred to Columbine's custody, and would like to bring at least my notes." She held her hand out. _She's willing to stand up for this._ Columbine observed.

Ciuatl reached out, transferring the documents. Ushio flipped open the folders, rifling through them quickly. She looked through almost every paper in the huge stack, before she nodded. The girl looked at Columbine. "Everything is here."

"Then we're done." Columbine said, waving for Ingwe to lead the way out. Then Ushio suddenly stepped back, her papers smoothly taken from her hands.

"Ah, but we're not." Ciuatl said. Her eyes bored into Columbine. "I do believe that you promised to hand Ushio back to me. She's not coming back, instead she's in your custody. Therefore, I am forced to assume that you did not defend her. As such, you don't get those notes."

"They're in Ushio's head, if she wrote them down." Columbine shrugged. A sigh from behind her made her look over her shoulder, worried.

"They aren't. I was worried that leaving them in my head would leave me open. Those are the only copy that exist. I deleted all records from my memories." Ushio explained.

 _She buried them,_ Columbine extrapolated from that, knowing memories could only be destroyed by a distinct few. Otherwise, they were just trapped deep in the mind. "You see," Ciuatl said, "You're outnumbered here. Ushio won't lift a finger, and there's five of us against three of you."

"Try m-" Columbine couldn't even finish the single syllable. Ciuatl cut her off, making it very clear that she was perfectly willing to 'try' Columbine and her comrades.

"Give them back." Ciuatl ordered.

"Excuse me," Ingwe interjected, "But should we not be giving these to Lady Astikai? She is our commander, and there's no reason for her to be left in the dark about such important secrets." She holstered her guns.

Columbine realized the fruits in such an endeavor, and also adopted a more neutral posture. "I have to agree," She said, "The Lady deserves to know. If you wish, you can accompany us to hand them over."

Ciuatl ruminated on that for a few seconds. She looked at her subordinates, especially focusing her glances on Ushio. The air was tense, everyone clearly ready for hostilities to commence. "Enough," Cherepia cut in, "Ciuatl, make a decision. If you don't want to hand them over, we'll gladly inform her of that, and wait for her thoughts on the matter."

The girls went silent. Ciuatl was slowly lowering the stack of notes. Ushio backed away as Columbine, Ingwe, and Cherepia advanced to form a line. The other Tzeentchians all started to move inwards. Silently, the battle was already commencing.

"Ohoho," A laugh nearly set them all off before their minds instantly recognized the source. They all looked down the corridor approaching the quarters, seeing Astikai happily walking along. "Ready for a fight, it seems." She observed, stopping a few feet away from Ushio, the furthest away from the nexus of the confrontation.

The short-haired brunette reached out to lay a hand on the girl's shoulder. Grinning momentarily, she flung the girl down face-first effortlessly. As Ushio tried to rise on all-fours, Astikai's foot drove into her back. "Let's talk about what's going on here." She suggested. The direction of her eyes indicated Ciuatl ought to start.

"Columbine demands I hand over the notes of Ushio, which I agreed to do only if Ushio was given back." Ciuatl explained, "She wasn't, therefore…"

"Ah, but why would this promise be made in the first place? Did Columbine believe Ushio would be freed?" Astikai asked. _A trap,_ Columbine saw it immediately. _She's getting Ciuatl to confirm that I lied about Ushio. If Ushio is given back to Ciuatl, then I lose the one chance I have at figuring out what this all is._ It wasn't pretty, the current situation, but Columbine wasn't going to give up.

"She seemed to," Ciuatl nodded, "Cherepia accompanied her as well. Why, was Ushio given to Columbine because she was explained to be guilty?"

"Oh, there's that, and there's also the fact that I'm angry at her." Astikai explained. "So you won't be getting her back anytime soon. So keep those notes to yourself." She looked at the others. Her hands clapped together, "Come on now, settle down."

Columbine's eyes widened, though she quickly turned away to hide the fact. _She's not escalating it. She's forcing a stalemate._ Columbine couldn't blame her, _given the wider_ _situation we're in, there's no chance at us getting out of here if we're fighting amongst each other._

The girls dispersed quickly. Astikai stayed to speak with Ciuatl, but Columbine quickly left with Ushio in tow. Against her side, Columbine's finger tapped exactly five times in quick succession. "Say Columbine, you look to need some time alone. Want Cherepia and I to get out of your way?"

Columbine smiled and nodded, halting her quick pace. "Thank you very much." A look of contempt scared Ushio, "I wish you could take her too, but unfortunately a duty's a duty. At least she'll stay quiet." Cherepia nodded, and Ingwe and her went off.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Columbine was walking again. Not a single word was said till they were back in Columbine's room. At that point, she asked, "Cherepia was playing along, wasn't she?"

Ushio shrugged. "Perhaps." Columbine went back to the drink she'd left behind, and drunk the entire glass in a single swig. Placing it back, she then took the other glass meant for Ushio.

"So tell me, what are those notes on?" It was more of a demand than a question.

Ushio took a deep breath. Suddenly she reached out for the drink Columbine held. Grabbing it from the girl's hands, she stared at it for a few seconds. Then she put it down on a table beside her, not drinking a drop. "I wish I could tell you. However…I don't remember either. Their importance was obviously such to the point where I couldn't bear the risk of keeping them in my mind. Honestly, I never expected people-my own comrades, to end up like this. All I know is that they exist, and that what they contain is something I have worked on for years."

"Do they relate to the reason we came here?" Columbine asked. "Did you lie about what you told Ciuatl? Is she working with you?" The blonde strode over to the bed, sitting down. She shifted uncomfortably, her mind racing to find a solution to the problem.

"I'm not sure. I do remember that I did not lie. I did see that something good would come of going here, but I can't say what." Ushio sighed, shame showing on her face. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."

"Nonsense." Columbine grinned, standing up now. The magical girl brimmed with confidence as she took a long breath, coming to a conclusion. "Ushio, I think there's an opportunity here. To do something truly exciting."

"Exciting?" Ushio asked, not having expected that being what Columbine sought.

Columbine strode up just in front of Ushio. Her hand landed on the girl's shoulder with a loud smack. "This is obviously important, incredibly important. Far more than just running around, causing problems, trying to assert power. We need to get at those notes."

"You just want to have fun?" Ushio was astounded. Columbine shook her head.

"I want my name to be in the history books. If I wasn't what I am, my name would be known by at least a few for hundreds of years to come, as long as I was immortalized in the Imperium's records. As I am now, I'll never be known." Columbine's tone dropped to a sad one. She turned away from the girl. "I just want to exist. So if I do something big, even the Imperium will write my name down."

Ushio searched for words, but found none. She shrank back into the corner of the room, almost bumping into the shrine before she remembered its presence. Quickly remembering who it was, she whispered a few words. "Worried?" Columbine asked, suddenly appearing behind the girl.

"Ah-no, I guess. Just superstitious. You can never know in a world like this one." Ushio explained, backing away from the small statue, depicting a shattered heart, pierced by an arrow. "Perhaps I never really understood why."

"Why we worship Her?" Columbine asked. "She is as much of a Goddess as the Imperium purports the false one to be. More, truthfully." A content grin spread across her face, "Her beliefs are more meaningful than what the Goddess says. Why save people when you yourself can ascend? By attaining such power, you can then lead those who need leading." Columbine turned around, walking back across the room, "Makes sense to me. More so than worshipping any mad deity."

Ushio tensed at that, but didn't bite at the bait. "Everybody has their own beliefs," She offered up as explanation. Suddenly, like it fell from a cliff, the room dropped into silence. Ushio turned around, looking at Columbine with questioning eyes. "Well, I guess I'm living here now."

Columbine nodded. She was obviously uncomfortable with it. "You can take the bed. The floor is fine."

"Don't, not for-"

"It's fine." Columbine snapped. "Just shut up, and don't annoy me. I'll see what I can about changing the layout around over the next few days. In fact, I'll do it now." She stood up, storming over to the door. "I'm going to the quartermaster, stay-no, I suppose you ought to come." Columbine signaled with her hand, and Ushio quickly came after her.

* * *

It really could have been called the corner of the ship. Properly, the vessel didn't have corners, the actual interior having a rather uneven shape, but this place was isolated from the rest to the point where it was about as lonely as a corner. Columbine strode along at her usual pace, turning every corner as if she'd done a million times before.

From the way she uneasily glanced around at the environment, Ushio only moved at the same speed because of the person in front of her. They passed down a tight corridor, a small door at the end of it. Columbine gently rapped her knuckles against the metal. "Badayie?" She called.

"Come in," A cheerful voice echoed. Columbine reached down to the doorknob. The rusty metal creaked as it was turned, before the hinges squealed as the door was practically forced open. "Sorry, still need to get this place fixed up." A girl sat in what seemed to be a solitary island amidst a sea of mess.

The swivel chair was neat and well-maintained, while the room around it was filled up by piles of assorted objects. Everything from bolters to blankets could be observed amidst the chaos. "Have you heard what's going on?" Columbine asked, ignoring the door. "With Ushio, that is?"

Badayie shrugged, relaxing back in the chair. "Haven't heard a thing. But since you're here, it must be important." She pointed out at Columbine, grinning happily.

"Astikai's handed her over to me. Ushio brought us to Nibelung, so she's in trouble. I just need another bed," Columbine said, then glanced around the room. _Less a quartermaster, more a social recluse._ She remarked.

"Ah-ha!" Badayie spun the chair in a full circle, before stopping herself and pointing to a certain spot in the mess. "Gotcha!" She leapt up, and reached out. A simple tug removed the bed from the pile. Columbine winced as an entire stack came crashing down as Badayie happily maneuvered the large wooden frame as if it were a small plank.

Ushio was rocking back and forth on her feet in the corner, but carefully slid to the side as Badayie tossed the bed at Columbine. "Where did you even get this?" The blonde sighed at the 'quartermaster'.

"I don't know," Badayie said, sitting back down in her chair. She flicked her short dark hair out of her eyes, waving goodbye. "See you later?"

"It's just a frame." Columbine gritted her teeth, "Have you anything else, or is this all I get?"

"Oh yeah!" Badayie shot up from her chair once more. "That too!"

Columbine stamped her foot on the ground. "Hurry up!" she shouted. Out of the corner of her eyes, she glanced at Ushio. Uncomfortably, she was standing just beside the door. Eyes stared down at the ground as she played pointlessly with her fingers.

 _Of course, that is the real recluse._ Columbine thought as Badayie got around to making an even bigger mess.

* * *

It'd take some time, but Columbine managed to satisfactorily restructure her small room to accommodate both beds. One was still pushed against the left wall, with a small space separating it and the other, leaving some space between the right bed and the right wall.

Standing before them both, Columbine asked the sitting girl. "Is there anything you'd like from your old quarters? Provided that Ciuatl hasn't taken it already?"

Hands on her knees as they hung off the edge of the bed, Ushio shrugged. "There were a few books, but-"

"Then we can go get them." Columbine said. She turned to the door. Ushio didn't move. "What's wrong?"

Ushio looked indecisive for a moment. "Do you really care about me? Or are you just playing me? Before this, you barely even knew I existed, now my concern is your concern. It's just because I'm a path to power for you, isn't it?" She asked. Columbine spun around, trying to find the right words. Ushio shook her head, "I don't want your fake kindness. Or your false explanations."

Columbine didn't have any way to respond. Mainly because she couldn't find some other lie to tell. She almost turned around and walked out. Then she choose to not tell a lie, "That's right. I am using you. But that's the only choice you have right now. I could probably kill you off and Astikai wouldn't care. Savor the kindness you get, because it's what's keeping you alive right now."

"If what I have is so important, Astikai wouldn't want me dead. That's why she gave me to you, because I need to be watched by a loyal puppy." Ushio explained. She stood up, facing down an awestruck Columbine.

The defiance only made Columbine fight back harder. "Loyal puppy I may be, but at least I'm not such a weakling that I stumble upon such an amazing secret, and cannot even guard it! You do nothing with the power you have, you merely sit in your little room and write about irrelevant things when you could be changing the world!" She shouted, breathing hard.

Ushio's jaw dropped open. "Change…the world…" She echoed quietly. Then she cowered away, looking aside from Columbine. "I can't do that." She said, "I'm-I'm not strong enough!" She shouted. Then meekly, she whispered "But I'm trying to be."

"Then you're going to accept my kindness," Columbine stormed forwards. She grabbed the girl by the collar, hoisting her into the air. "You're going to do what I say when I say it. Your work can do great things, but only if you listen to me!" She tossed the girl to the side, onto the left of the two beds.

Ushio pushed herself back against the wall, looking in fright at Columbine. "I will use you like the tool you make yourself out to be, no matter how much you fight against it." Columbine explained, "And if you resist, I'm happy to break you into listening to me."

Still, the girl on the bed glared back with some amount of defiance. "I don't care," Ushio declared, "I'm still my own self. I'll be strong one day, and then we'll see who is ordering who."

"That may be true." Columbine remarked. She glanced to the shrine, still in the rightmost corner of the room. "But for now, I am the stronger one."

* * *

The Athena Disappearance was the name given to the apparent vanishing of the planet Athena from the Nibelung Sector, near the turn of the 5th century of the 41st Millennium. It is believed by many that the Inquisition was conducting secret experiments on the world, perhaps involving xenos or heretic technology.

No matter what the cause, the fact is that the entire planet disappeared from the system, and has never been seen again. All ships surrounding the world were taken along with. Not the slightest bit of data regarding the incident was gained. The Grand Inquisitor never spoke a word regarding the causes behind it, refusing to give even the slightest hint of involvement.

Ever since, the sector was seen as cursed. The Disappearance was a major factor in inciting the civil war that would set the stage for the Incident, as the scattered governors believed that it was the result of the sector governor and some imagined consorting with xenos or heretics.

- _The Nibelung Incident_


	8. Expectations

Not much good news this time. The irregularity of this is because of the recent breakthrough at the Tirhalis Line. The on-site Captains are estimating human casualties on the ground are floating around ten million, girl casualties in the hundreds. They smashed through all five worlds in a single massive assault. Thousands of ships have been lost on both sides, and we're currently busy retreating back to the Linhalin Line.

If this keeps up, the left wing could be rolled back to the center. If this pace keeps up, or if they pull something big off, we're looking at an encirclement in the next year. If that's possible, then they'll certainly break out from the Expanded Cadian Defense Cordon. Rumor has it that the Pacificus and Ultima Segmentums are going to be called back in, but no official order was gone out yet.

That's the gist of the situation here. Things are only getting worse. If these stop coming out…The Goddess Protects.

-Latest _Tales from the 13_ _th_ _Try,_ a weekly bulletin by Inquisitor Samandra Linson.

* * *

After the rain began, the day turned into a long blur. Nothing but exhaustion came afterwards, as Germana started to work us through a tiring physical regimen. From what I knew of magical girls, they could magically empower themselves, so I wasn't sure why all this was necessary.

That knowledge didn't give me the courage to defy Germana. Instead, I did as I was told, going along with exercises that made me feel like I was going to die. Though my body was ready to fall apart by the time we were given another break, I somehow managed to make it inside.

The same food that faced us before was once again daring me to sink to its level. This time, I was more than happy to eat the bread. Any problem I might have had was forgotten about. My mind was too tired to consider anything more.

Unfortunately, as I stuffed the suddenly delicious food into my mouth, my mind did have the ability to comprehend my situation. Which was one of isolation. I wasn't going to go over to Aurelia, and I doubt she'd have liked it even if had the guts. Priscilla and Mariana were out of the question.

Not for a lack of trying, though. I certainly tried. By the time Mariana actually said anything I was already walking away. Her face told me everything I needed to know about the chances of sitting there. There were of course ten tables in the entire room. Obviously, the intention was that each pair would sit to one.

Aurelia was at one corner of the table left for us. So I just sat down on the other end. She didn't raise a complaint. The situation felt a bit awkward, but it was infinitely superior to sitting on the floor, at least in my mind. I ate on quietly. Instead of speaking any words, I listened to the conversations of others. It appeared that they were getting to know each other quite well.

Except for voices that I might have mistaken for Aurelia and I spitting insults at each other. I turned my head and saw the two pegging each other with cold stares. Fiercely they argued over some topic. Focusing more revealed that it was related to theology. I stopped listening at this point.

Theology. The word in and of itself constituted heresy to some. Questioning the nature of the Goddess just wasn't a wise choice, but it was something these two were quite heavily engaged in. I'd never bothered, no- _risked_ to learn much about the subject. Listening just made me uncomfortable.

Occupied with eavesdropping on others, I didn't notice the time pass by. I had finished eating when it came time to return, but that didn't mean I enjoyed the prospect. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I stood from the seat, stretching my arms out. _If I didn't have to stand beside her, it wouldn't be so bad,_ I thought, glancing out of the corner of my eyes at Aurelia.

But the choice wasn't mine. It wasn't even fate. The two of us choose to stand next to one another at the start of all this. _All this,_ I thought, _hasn't been going on for very long. Since this morning, actually. Feels like days._ I walked outside shivering both from the cold rain and from the strange sensation I felt.

* * *

Filled with orange rays of light, the horizon glowed as the sun descended. The rain had stopped some time ago as the sun began its trip below the horizon. Hanging in the sky like ominous specters, the patches of dark clouds had left a chill in the air with their rain. Still wet, I stumbled along as Germana led us through the camp.

We approached one of the gates. This one opened onto the slopes of a large hill that came up from the plateau. Viewed from afar, it would have been a mountain. For us, it looked like something that made me sick at the thought of climbing. "You see the top of that hill?" Germana asked.

I think I forgot to nod as I realized what was about to come. In fact, I might have swooned a bit from the shock. A few others forgot to do so as well, and Germana didn't comment. Despite my avoidance of any humiliation, my despair was only increased by her next words.

"You're going to run up that entire thing, and back down. Don't try any tricks, I can see you all even if you don't think I can. You have until the sun sets. After it disappears, I close the gates and you don't get to come back in until morning." Germana approached the controls. She tapped a button.

"Now go on," She insisted as they opened up, "No time to lose." My legs were carrying me forwards before my mind could comprehend the situation. Acting on pure survival instinct, I bolted as fast as I could. Which wasn't very fast. I fell behind most others.

Spending your entire life cooped up in a room reading books is no way to get fit. I'd say only the endurance that magic granted me kept me going as I ascended that rocky hill. It was tall, reaching high into the air. The chill in my body decreased, replaced by a heat that felt like it was going to burn me up. Interestingly enough, I realized that I was not at all impeded by my heels. Rather, I felt as though they were normal athletic shoes.

Fierce winds started to beat at me as I almost tripped over every bump, whether it was a bit of dirt or a rock, I encountered on the way. The rushing air wasn't enough to throw me off, but it was enough to shock me when they came round. I started to question my ability to actually do this in time.

I looked up ahead of me, seeing the more capable girls, Aurelia amongst them, keeping a steady pace. Perhaps fear drove them a little, but I saw no reason for them to be concerned. While I saw a few scenes of partners assisting one another, I knew I couldn't expect the same from my own.

There wasn't enough energy in my body to spend glancing around for Mariana and Priscilla, but if my image of them was correct, then I would have found Mariana carrying her companion up the hill. A part of me looked forwards to whatever Germana's response to that would be.

Pain flared in my lungs as I drove myself forwards, while my legs were similarly screaming as I struggled. The world seemed to blur before me. My eyes blurred a little as I felt all the energy bleeding out. A ways up the hill, I could see Aurelia.

A clever idea took hold of my mind. _I'll help her. She won't help me, but if I help her, it'll just show how much better I am._ I grinned slyly, driving myself forwards. If I was to prove my superiority, I would have to be in the right place.

Without even noticing, I came to the summit. In an instant, my breath was stolen away. Not by the physical hardship, but by what I saw up there. For some reason, the beauty of the scenery before me was somehow enhanced by the fact that I could barely stand.

For miles and miles, all around, there was just mountains. Not the slightest sign of humanity save for the small camp back down the hill. Valleys and summits, lakes nestled at the bottoms of tall cliffs, all covered in a beautiful shade of green, some even further decorated by the white of snow. The ethereal radiance of the sun's last light faded by the second.

It was only that fact which reminded me to turn around and run back down the hill. My fixation did give me a pause with which I caught my breath. But looking at the way back down, I realized that it was only going to be more difficult. Not so much on my endurance. My balance was the thing that would be tried now.

If it weren't for the threat of spending the night out here, I would have preferred to carefully descend step by step. Even then, I probably would have fallen over still. As it was, I tripped over something and went tumbling. Had I not been holding my arms in front of my face, it might have been smashed open.

As it was, that first fall was blocked by those limbs, before I started to roll down and down towards the bottom. Then something stopped me. Though I didn't catch a glimpse at first, the feel of it told me it was human. "Get going!" Aurelia shouted, half-insulting me as she pushed me forwards roughly.

With her right behind me, suddenly it was a race to get inside before she did. That was something I would give my all. The last rays of sunlight were just disappearing before we both bolted through the gates, only one straggler tailing us.

In a loose group, we stood around, catching our breath. I was bent over, hands grabbing my knees. If others were sitting down, I would have certainly sat down as well. Those who had gotten here first were the paradigms, and since they had gotten here first thanks to their fitness, they weren't tired. So of course the weaker herd would only follow in their footsteps.

Aurelia was a few feet away from me. While I was devastated physically, she looked annoyed more than anything. Begrudgingly, I muttered, "Thanks,"

The chestnut-haired girl glared at me. Then she spat, "It's not like you would have done the same." Though I tried to suppress it, the shock on my face told her everything.

"But I would have," I insisted, clenching my fists. Now it was her turn to be surprised. Aurelia crossed her arms, a smirk appearing on her face.

Haughtily, she asked, "For the same reason I helped you?" The mere fact that I looked away with teeth gritted showed that was indeed the case. Aurelia shook her head and turned away.

"Don't be acting all superior!" I shouted after her. She paused as though to reply, then kept walking. My laughter hopefully hurt her as much as possible.

* * *

My legs were ready to fall apart. I felt that they actually would just fall to pieces, break in half, or somehow fail to function properly as I stood there watching Germana watch us. We'd come back and lined up. After a few seconds of tension, the sergeant called out, "Aurelia, if you could step forwards."

Clearly surprised, Aurelia hesitated a little. She still went along with it, though. We all stared at her, but she didn't need to look at us to know that. "Why did you help your companion when she fell down?" The sergeant asked.

I winced at the question. _She thinks Aurelia did it for a good reason._ Of course, the real test is probably whether or not Aurelia would tell the truth. If I knew Germana well enough, she'd easily heard our conversation, and probably would have figured it out even if we hadn't talked.

Air escaped through Aurelia's lips as she avoided Germana's eyes. "Well," She began. Then she shook her head. Aurelia looked right at the knight, "Because I wanted to prove that I was better than she was."

Germana nodded, not showing the slightest hint of surprise. It was in such a way so that I knew she wasn't surprised at all. She was completely prepared for this. "Well, are you better than her?"

Aurelia shrugged. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." I couldn't tell if her dry tone was honest or not. There wasn't a chance she was really telling the truth, so I disregarded what I heard from her.

"Good, you can step back into line now." Germana waved her hand. Then her harsh glare ran across the rest of us. "I want to think about that. Many of you may have wanted to help someone else. Did you want to do it because you really felt bad for them, because you really wanted to help them succeed, or was it because you wanted to be praised."

She threw her arms up in defense. "Now, I'm not accusing any of you. Perhaps I'm entirely wrong. What I'm doing here is merely asking you to assess your own morals, and assure that they are not corrupt. Don't help someone if you want their praise. Help them because you simply _should._ " She let that sink in for a few seconds. The seconds dragged on into minutes. My legs were shaking uncontrollably at this point.

Then Germana spoke again. "Well, that was a good first day. Now it's time for some rest." She pointed to her right. "First row, you ten are a single squad. You sleep there." She pointed to her left. "Second row, you ten are another squad, you sleep there."

"You all know where the restrooms and showers are. You'll be sharing those. I think you can handle it." Her tone was deadpan as she went on. "You're going to see each other's limbs torn off, each other's guts spilling from their bodies, and each other's faces ripped to shreds. I'd like to think that if you can't handle nudity, you can't handle such excessive gore, but perhaps I'm mistaken." She shrugged.

Then a smirk came onto her face. "Stay in there, but I don't care if you're up all night. As for what you do in bed, just confirm that it's alright with the others before starting anything. Otherwise I could care less." Everyone's eyes went to Mariana and Priscilla. A good half of them, including me, immediately turned away when the blonde returned our gazes.

"Now go," Germana ordered. "Goodnight to all of you. We start early in the morning, so get to sleep quickly." I turned and walked off with the others. I ended up lagging behind a bit thanks to my lack of strength, but I managed to hold on till I got inside.

The room was small. Five bunk beds were arranged in a row, with a few feet of space between each. Aurelia was already standing beside one. She looked emotionlessly at me. The humiliation she suffered seemed to be weighing heavily on her.

"Do you want the top?" She asked. I nodded, eager to take it from her. But Aurelia didn't seem to mind as I got up there. She lay down on the bottom bunk. I scoffed as she didn't even say goodnight.

"Goodnight," I muttered, laying down and pulling the sheets over myself. It seemed that sleeping my uniform was the only option (also the only thing I was comfortable with), but I was at least able to stick my heels in a corner of the bed I wouldn't touch.

I lay down and closed my eyes. Sleep was coming on fast due to the exhaustion that now immobilized me. I knew that I had a long road ahead of me. This was just the first day, after all. It was unbelievable than even at this time yesterday, I hadn't made the contract. In such a short time, I'd come so far.

But if Albina could do it, so could I. And I wasn't going to give up on my wish because of some stupid girl.

* * *

It would be around noon the next day when I stood before that stupid girl. My arms were crossed in front of my chest as I stood straight up. "Aurelia," I said, "I'd like to talk to you." She stared at me with only a hint of annoyance.

A sigh came out, "What do you want?" She rested her head against her hand as she looked up at me. The fingers of her free hand tapped arrhythmically against the table.

"Just to talk," I explained, aware that others were looking at the two of us warily. "We should probably step outside, though." Aurelia shrugged, and stood up from her meal. Without any further prompt she walked for the doors. I hurried after her, a bit surprised by her abruptness.

Aurelia wanted as much privacy as possible, and so we walked out of sight of even the others. We seemed to have free reign during the breaks, as long as we stayed inside the camp. Walking around the corner of one of the points of the 'u', she paused, her back to me.

"Go on," She said. Unfazed by her tone, I spoke out.

"I thought we ought to get to know each other better," I explained, acting as if the idea was a masterful one. Aurelia chuckled.

She turned around. The glare made me flinch. "How might we do that?" she asked.

I stammered, realizing that I hadn't actually thought that part out. "W-well-maybe we…just talk?" My face brightened a little as I presented the idea, but Aurelia shot it down quickly.

"About what?" She asked, seemingly amazed that I could be this stupid. "What do you think we have in common to discuss?" Her tone was really bit at me the most.

"It's just that I've told you about how I'm scared, but you haven't said a single thing about yourself." I explained, hands on my hips. "It's only right that you share something equally important."

"Haven't I already told you?" Aurelia sounded bored more than anything. I stamped my foot on the ground.

"You can say it again, can't you?" I demanded. "Come on, don't act all superior to me!" Aurelia suddenly stepped in close.

Her tone made me wince as it reached my ears. "You're saying I act superior? You're the one who expects me to divulge all my secrets just because you ask about them!"

My eyes widened as I swelled up with anger. "All? I asked for something equal! You're the idiot who can't listen when she's being spoken to!" Aurelia raised her arm. I was too slow to stop her from slapping me across the face.

I gasped in shock, but retaliated immediately. She was shouted down before she could speak a word. "And now you resort to violence? You say I'm stuck up, but you're the mysterious, cold, calm girl who won't speak a word about yourself! If you didn't want to talk to anybody, then why come here?! If you don't want to work with other people, then why come here?!" I breathed hard as Aurelia took a few steps back in shock.

Her hands came up to cover her face. Then she scoffed, and stormed past me, making sure to hit me with her shoulder. I spun around. Aurelia walked back inside as I shook my head. "And now she's running away." I rolled my eyes, "Figures."

I looked up into the bright sky. In my head, I wondered if Albina was out there somewhere. Maybe she was back, only to find that I was gone. No matter what the case was, I doubted she had to deal with someone as obnoxious as Aurelia.

But that was all in the moment, of course. Looking back, those first days of our relationship were some of the silliest things I can remember.

* * *

End Chapter 6 of Record

* * *

Whisking the wine in the glass around gently, the knock on the door sent it all down Columbine's throat. She rolled her eyes as she approached. "Stay put," She muttered to Ushio, who sat on her own bed. Counting to three before even touching the handle, Columbine opened the door and glared unhappily at who lay beyond.

Margareta's characteristic smirk met her. "Why?" Columbine immediately asked, choosing the shortest word. The door opened only a crack, Columbine used her hidden arm to point to the bottle and the glass. Ushio let out a slight chuckle.

"Just a friendly visit." Margareta shrugged. The smirk didn't leave her face for a moment, especially when she asked, "Or have you become more antisocial?" Columbine shook her head and turned around. Margareta stepped inside. She waved to Ushio as she sweetly grinned.

The quite girl ignored Margareta, and stood up to hand Columbine her drink. With a single gulp everything in the glass downed. Grinning in thanks, Columbine spun around. "So you two are an item now?" Margareta was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

That was bait. Neither of them bit at it. "Did you come to fling petty insults or have a discussion?" Columbine asked, sitting down on her own bed. A finger played with a loose strand of her hair.

"Oh, I was thinking of talking about your intentions," Margareta explained. Columbine didn't visibly react to that. Ushio turned away and focused her eyes on the corner of the room. She listened, but didn't want to give away anything.

All Margareta ended up receiving was a low, "Fine," from Columbine. The girl didn't betray anything.

Margareta stepped away from the wall. Her right hand reached out, and her sword appeared in a red flash. Ushio suddenly tensed up. Columbine didn't. As Margareta manipulated the sword in her fingers, flipping it around, balancing on fingertips, twirling it around. Still smirking, her face not having changed since she first appeared, Margareta asked, "What if I'm really working for Astikai?"

Columbine shrugged. "You aren't. Margareta, you don't bow to anybody, even her. You call me a lapdog one day, and then try to trick me like this the next?" Now it was her turn to smirk.

Margareta pouted, "I'm that easy, am I?" She asked.

"Like anyone of your kind," Columbine confirmed with a brief nod.

Margareta flipped the claymore through the air to her other hand. "Anyways, you do intend to use Ushio and what she knows to your advantage?" Columbine nodded once more. "To rebel against Astikai?"

Once more, Columbine nodded. Ushio didn't see, and so didn't panic at the revelation. At least not until Margareta teased, "Now what if I told _that_ to Astikai?"

"She knows already," Columbine chuckled. "We've been playing this game against each other for a long time now. It's just that for a while now, and still now, she can't do anything to me because she needs me." The blonde sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hands, "I assure you the moment we get into safe territory, my head will be on the chopping block."

"Ah," Margareta breathed. The sword went back to the other hand now, which still manipulated it like one might play with a pen. "I'll tell you that if it comes to that, I'm going to watch and enjoy the blood as it spills from you."

Columbine wasn't fazed. "But what if it doesn't come to that?"

Margareta ran her tongue along her lips. "Then I'll go where the most blood is. After all, Khorne cares not from whence the blood flows." Then her sword disappeared. The redhead bowed, "I'll take my leave now." She turned around and left.

Ushio looked back to Columbine. The blonde turned to look at the brunette. "Did she just tell us-you, that if you give her more people to kill than Astikai, she'll help you?"

"Essentially, yes," Columbine smiled. "But that's why a she's ultimately so useful. Like any good Khornite, she's nothing more than slave to violence."

Ushio frowned. "You think you know what she'll do?"

"I trust her implicitly." Columbine said without a hint of sarcasm or irony. To Ushio's look of confusion, she explained. "You see, people think that trust just means that you have a close bond with someone. What it really means is that you know someone will act in a certain way."

She stood up, turning her body to face Ushio. "I trust Margareta to go to where the most blood is. I know she won't keep my secrets, but I know without a doubt how she'll act. Isn't that trust?" She asked. Ushio nodded, starting to understand.

"There are plenty of people whom I trust. Cherepia, for example. She sets herself up as the bane of my existence. Therefore, I can trust her to be the bane of my existence, but _also_ not end my existence. If she were to do that, she'd have no reason to exist. So I can trust her to do a certain set of things, and never go outside of those." Columbine paused for a moment as the sense of the idea struck Ushio. "I do trust Ingwe to keep my secrets, but that's just trusting her to act in a certain way because of what I know about her character."

Ushio nodded. Then she looked Columbine in the eyes. "Do you trust me?" She asked. "In any way?"

Columbine shook her head. "No, and I hope you don't trust me. I haven't known you for long enough. Of course, it's sometimes more comfortable being around somebody who you don't trust, and who doesn't trust you. Neither of you have any expectations for each other. No matter what you do, it'll be seen as somewhat normal by either party."

"Well, I don't trust you," Ushio let out a long breath, "So I suppose that's good?"

"Very good," Columbine confirmed as she lay back on her bed, "I trust too many people. I want a bit of confusion for once."

* * *

We've traced the traitor vessel heading towards Escher, and are moving in pursuit. We will arrive several hours late due to the time needed to trace the vector, but from there we will be able to track them further. Should we commit fully to hunting down the enemy vessel, or focus our efforts on reclaiming the Nibelung Sector? With our resources, only one option is possible, as we've only one cruiser left. The enemy is skilled and smart. We'll head to Escher if we receive no reply.

Sergeant Loretta Cafolison to Lord Inquisitor Alania.

You must follow the enemy vessel at all costs. I shall come personally with my retinue in order to assist, but continue heading to Escher. In the next week, perhaps two, I shall arrive there. Be warned, merely track the enemy, but do not engage directly with them unless you absolutely must. They need to be caught alive.

Lord Inquisitor Alania, in reply to Loretta Cafolison


	9. A Step Forwards

**Sorry about the lateness of this. Last week and weekend were busy, and I managed to sprain a finger on Friday, so that didn't help either.**

* * *

I'm not joking when I say the psychological department's worse than it looks. I figured it'd be some easy desk job, a nice way to relax, ease myself back into the swing of things after some time off. Well, I'm either going to leave in a few months, or stay. And if I stay, I get the feeling it'll be more due to Stockholm syndrome than anything else.

It's not necessarily the workload, it's the work itself. Even though I'm naught more than an assistant, I'm tasked with handling all the incoming reports on the individual profiles of every girl in the field at the moment. The actual career officers are the ones handling the rest, that is to say the assignment of leave time, giving recommendations to the field psychologists and so on.

I've been on the bridge of the largest battleships as fleets of thousands upon thousands maneuver against one another. I've been present at command posts as generals and chapter masters decided strategy for every warzone on the planet simultaneously. But the psychological department puts all of those to shame. A few dozen people are tasked with the mental health of around two thousand, if not more, and they do their job well.

After saying all that, I'd say either I actually enjoy it, or I lost my mind faster than I thought. Those two come hand in hand though. Well, I've already been commended for my efficiency. If the Goddess wills it, who am I to disobey?

-Letter from Margula Excellus, Blood Angels 4th Company.

* * *

With a hiss of rushing air, the heavy doors rumbled open. Eleven people stood in front of the doors, not arranged in a specific formation. Most lounged around, obviously having been waiting. One of them straightened, and the other ten followed in unison, all snapping to attention to face the first to move.

"Well ladies, we part here. I most certainly hope to see you again. Unfortunately, the next time we'll be able to even communicate will be by the time your leave is over. You have six months. If the Goddess allows, we'll link up once more, but if not, I'm sure something out here will occupy you." Captain Serina smiled. The ten other Knights saluted, before she replied in kind.

"Goodbye. The Goddess Protects, May She guide your souls." The others spoke a similar goodbye, before stepping into the airlock. Serina's smile was the last they saw, before the ten relaxed.

The doors at the other end hissed open, the girls striding through. "Well, I suppose you're all free. Gather back here after five months. Assignments will probably have been worked out by then." She paused as they strode through the locks onto the station.

A sigh came from her mouth as the telepathic message went out to the rest. _Greetings, Fallen Angels 6_ _th_ _Company 7_ _th_ _Squad, I understand that you are all currently under six months of leave. However, I must inform you that due to this world's proximity to the Nibelung Sector, currently in a state of civil war, you may be called up to act in a limited capacity. Apologies if this interrupts any plans you had in place. Sincerely, Lord Inquisitor Alania._

Tentheta shrugged, turning around to face her squad. All of them were unarmored. She sounded weary. "Well, hopefully that doesn't come up. I'll speak to them further, try to get some details. Until then, you're free to do whatever you want. The Goddess Protects."

* * *

The station hung in orbit around Cyprus. A world owned and controlled by the Adeptus Magica. _Sounds a lot different than the reality,_ Meryet thought to herself, Alicia alongside her as they strolled through a long hallway between two blocks. Small windows showed glimpses of the blue-green planet.

Situated at a perfect spot for life, the planet had never been needed to be terraformed, or at least the more scientific in the Inquisition believed. For now though, Meryet focused on the present, currently focused on going downwards. "Carthage would be nice, but I'd like a couple days onplanet before running off into the warp again," Meryet had told her companion, despite knowing that the girl desired the exact opposite.

She was unarmored, and as such was dressed in wildly different attire. A teal double-breasted coat stretched just a bit past her waist line, giving way to a brown skirt. The coat's low collar exposed a white cravat covering up all of the opening and going round her otherwise bare neck. Brown heeled boots went up to her knees, with nothing on her hands.

"Alright…fine" Alicia had grudgingly accepted it, but was content since it was with Meryet. This girl had on a long black coat, covering from her ankles to her neck. Her petite hands were bare, while her neck had a red scarf wrapped tightly round it. Small heels were on her feet, her long black hair almost touching them.

Meryet now held open the door for her smaller friend. Alicia was the first of the two to enter into what was a long hall, rows of chairs. It resembled a massive waiting room.

They didn't see anyone they specifically recognized, most of the other girls either heading for some other destination immediately, or spending time on the assorted orbital stations. That is, until Meryet heard a call. "Sometimes I think fate can't help but throw us at each other." Lucine commented, more seriously than jokingly.

Meryet nodded. "Heading the same way we are, I see." She replied. Then also observed, "Alicia and I dawdled, you should be down there by now. Much less fate, more your own choice." The two had been on edge towards one another for over a week now.

She glanced at the list of departure timings for shuttles leaving for the surface. "Come on," Meryet insisted. Alicia tagged along right to her side as Lucine caught up. That girl, with her dark brown hair, wore a dark black vest over a long-sleeved violet shirt. A short black skirt was over legs covered in long leggings. Short boots covered her feet, while black leather gloves were on her hands.

"I just wanted the chance to apologize." Lucine said, "Figured now would be the best time. If either of us were to leave, we could easily be lost in the warp, never see each other. Rather not find myself lamenting an apology I never had the chance to say."

Meryet nodded, "I understand." She stood before what a ticket window, but the magical girl inside merely saluted and opened up the doors for the Knights. Their status was signified by the extra insignia on their rings, just as Inquisitors had.

The hangar was spacious, but well-organized for maximum safety. The Fallen Angels were three of eight girls headed for the same shuttlecraft. "So, I apologize," Lucine said. Alicia giggled at the girl's awkwardness, not inciting a response from Lucine.

Meryet stepped into the shuttle, calmly looking for a reply. "It's merely an ideological difference, nothing to lose a friendship over." Her cheeks spread in a grin as she sat down, "No worry." Alicia sat down beside her, while Lucine took the other side.

Alicia was quiet the entire time, trying her best to not get involved. _It's affected me, so it's affected her as well._ Meryet thought sadly, glancing out of the corner of her eye as Lucine preached her case, _hopefully this will end it._

"Lucine," She suddenly cut into one of the girl's sentences, "Please, stop. I understand, I accept your apology. We both believe in different things, there's nothing wrong with that."

Lucine got the message, and stopped speaking. Meryet turned to Alicia, taking one of the girl's hands in her own. "It's alright," She whispered. Meryet then briefly looked at the others in the craft. She noticed that everyone else was doing the same thing.

 _I guess years of experience does that to someone,_ Meryet thought. The shuttle soon took off, slipping back down to the planet. The journey took only a few minutes, but was bumpy and uncomfortable for the most part. Meryet could tell that one of the other girls was certainly a Knight, given the way she seemed to tense up at the feeling of slamming into an atmosphere at a high speed.

The others were PDG or Inquisition, some even looking relaxed. Meryet had long since learned to control any feelings of tension, but Alicia was less experienced in that field. Lucine looked more focused on other issues to be concerned about whether or not they were descending into hostile territory.

Every girl in the shuttle was instantly hit by the standard wave of questions as they arrived. How long one would be staying, their purpose, their division of the Adeptus, their organizational body, their rank, a whole battery of information to be collected and stored. All done telepathically, the data was communicated in a matter of seconds.

Not much time passed before the shuttle reached its destination, and the girls within quickly left. A short corridor led from the shuttle to the building proper before they were instantly hit by a wave of sound as they arrived at the largest spaceport on the planet.

Millions passed through every day, the traffic unusually high for almost any world in the Imperium of Mankind. _Just a few days,_ Meryet promised to Alicia, _three at the most,_ noticing her immediately growing tenser, shrinking closer to her companion.

Lucine silently followed as Meryet cut a way through the crowd. No action but walking was required. The multitudes of humans cleared the way for the obvious magical girls. _They really just look at the clothes, though. Any teenage girl could walk through a crowd like this if she looked even remotely fancy._

Meryet had a destination, already having accessed the guide for newly-arriving girls in an instant. The first thought had been to find somewhere quiet to stay for the next few days, so that Alicia could have something approaching rest.

Lucine butted into Meryet's head suddenly, demanding answers as to her plans. _If you're going to be this rude, I'd rather not tell._ Meryet replied, but said so anyways. _Probably headed out to one of the quieter places around the planet. With only a few hundred million people, there's plenty of those._

Given that the planet was half-dedicated to being a suitable resting place for Knights on leave, it made perfect sense that there be resorts of a sort all over the planet. Lucine arbitrarily picked one. _This is nice. We should drive there._

Meryet flinched at the sound of that, knowing what was coming. _You know the answer to that._ She replied.

 _Ah-ha, but I'm coming with._ Lucine explained, _so you get it anyways._

Meryet sighed, accepting her fate. She turned a different corner in the spaceport than she'd originally intended, heading off in a different direction.

* * *

Meryet was silent, an emotion approaching fear on her face as Lucine spoke with the girls. "Ah yes, you're on record." The girl behind the counter said. "What'd you like?"

Lucine could only smirk. "The fastest one." The other girl just chuckled, muttering.

"Also on record." Once a magical girl had proven she could drive, the galactic network of the Adeptus would have that information. It wasn't supposed to be difficult to drive, as all it took was a bit of inserting information into one's mind, then learning to actually apply the skills. It was just that Meryet had never taken the time to learn.

Lucine, on the other hand, had jumped at the chance to learn such a talent. Not that it was necessary. Meryet knew she could handle a vehicle well-enough, but preferred not to do so. "Twirling the keys around her hand," Lucine strode past Meryet, just smirking as Meryet rolled her eyes.

"Come on," She spoke quietly to Alicia, "Things will be quiet eventually."

* * *

Meryet looked out at the waves slowly and quietly crashing against the beach in the distant. Cool ocean winds blew her hair around her head as she rested her head on her hand, arms supporting her as she leaned on the balcony railing.

The suite they were in was massive. Just her and Alicia, Lucine with her own equally huge one. With plenty of space and relatively few magical girls needing it, such massive spaces could be afforded. Meryet thought silently as she stared out, trying to settle her mind.

She couldn't help but think of nothing but Alicia. Somehow, that girl occupied her mind entirely. _But I know exactly why. Just being scared of stepping foot on a planet in normal circumstances is…well, abnormal._ A particularly fierce gust whipped up her hair.

As her hand brushed it from her face, her ears didn't miss the other sound in the air. Lucine landed with barely a single noise right beside her. As much as Meryet had hoped for privacy, she clearly wouldn't have it. "What do you want?" She sighed wearily, rubbing her eyes.

"Tired?" Lucine questioned. Then shook her head. "Rhetorical," She remarked.

Meryet nodded at the obvious observation. "I'm just worried about Alicia." A pause. "I'll probably get her checked out again while we're here."

"You feel scared of her?" Lucine asked, leaning back against the railing, head turned to face Meryet.

The dark-haired girl looked out at the waves. Focusing on nothing but them for a few seconds, she spoke. "No, not scared. Not even uncomfortable. I feel better around her, even in the Warp. But…I worry for her."

Lucine reached out, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Why are you so obsessed with looking out for her? It's putting you through a lot of unnecessary stress."

Meryet couldn't deny that in any way. "I suppose you could say that," She remarked, "But it feels good, protecting her."

"Maybe that's her secret, her real magic is making people want to protect her." Lucine chuckled, before cutting herself off. Meryet wasn't taking this as a joking situation. Retracting her hand, Lucine stepped away. "Alright then, I'll go. Get some sleep at some point."

"If you have any idea to take this off of my mind, I'd like to hear it," Meryet said quietly, "As much as I want to protect her, I need a break, but I don't know what to do."

Lucine thought for a few seconds, shifting her arms about as she stood a couple feet away. "I don't take you as someone who wants to get drunk?"

Meryet shuddered at the possibility of that. "Why would you want to do that?" She asked accusingly. _I know she does it all the time, but seriously…_

"It helps you take your mind off of things," Lucine grinned. Meryet stood up straight.

"I will not participate in such acts. Furthermore, how am I supposed to look out for Alicia if I'm in that state?" A hand leapt up to cover her mouth as she realized that there was an obsession.

Lucine waved a finger, looking over her shoulder, "Come on, I hear they have a great bar here." She insisted, "It's fun once you try it." Meryet let out a heavy sigh, but followed the girl. "See?" Lucine grinned, "Just trust me on this."

* * *

"It was somewhere up in the Northeast, around Kyiv I think." The girl was saying, hands working while she spoke, "The Dark Eldar, some crazy archon trying to set up a petty kingdom or some crazy thing like that." She smiled, handing Lucine the drink, eliciting a short 'thank you' before the story continued.

The magical girl spoke as if her tale was rather boring, "I swear I hate them the most. The only people who disgust me on the same level are the pleasure-seekers of Chaos." Careful not to mention the god's name. "They're not even fun to kill, because some of them still like that." She shook her head in disgust, "They know their souls go to the dark gods when they die, but some of them still find pleasure in the emotions that course through one's body before death."

Taking a deep breath and turning around to pick out a few things from the shelves behind her, the girl shrugged, "Death is so boring. I never found any pleasure in it." She came back, setting the small vials down, before starting to mix another drink, "What about you?" her original story was completely forgotten.

Lucine sighed, "Well, it's always interesting. I guess it's why I don't like fighting traitors, because they'll always kill you in the same way. I've my brain shut off a few times now, and it just gets boring." She took a sip of the drink, then glancing to the side. She smirked, before her face lit up. "Ah, one time, a traitor ripped my spine out." Her body shuddered as she remembered the memory, "That was new. Not pleasant in any way, but at least it wasn't boring."

"Apparently the Necrons give out the most-painful deaths. Though there's a running competition with the Dark Eldar of course, and the Tyranids seem to be evolving in new and 'exciting' ways every so often." The bartender explained. She looked to Lucine's side, "Will she be alright?" She gestured to the dark-haired girl who was slipping in and out of conscious, her body leaned over the bar counter.

Random mumbles came from her mouth as Lucine patted her on the head. "She just needed to relax, as I said. No worry." She picked up the glass, downing the entire thing in a single gulp. It softly clinked as it went back down, joining a multitude of other empty glasses.

She was one of the only people in the bar, with midnight long gone by now. "Rather high tolerance," the tender remarked, her light brown hair framing a mischievous grin, "You do this a lot?"

"I do, forty-eight years of it," Lucine confirmed, "Started when I was…sixteen, I'll say. Was always interested, hearing all the adults do it, so I jumped at the chance to do it and not risk making poor choices, as soon as I got out of basic training." She thought for a moment, "Or so my sergeant told me." It looked as though she'd reconsider, then shook her head, "Nah, I don't regret a bit of it."

"Really now?" The girl behind the counter asked, "No poor choices made?"

"Well you see, that's the problem isn't it?" Lucine laughed out loud, "You can easily prevent yourself from getting drunk, but if you do, and you're not out like the pure princess here…you're going to cause more problems than any human could…" She sounded rather dejected in the last part.

The bartender handed Lucine another drink. "Oh, do go on." She leaned over the counter, elbows on the hard wood and hands on her cheeks.

Lucine remembered for a moment, quietly sipping from the glass. "Well, I distinctly remember getting drunk, and then the next morning several people were almost critically wounded." It was at that moment that Meryet stirred.

"A-Alicia…" She muttered, trying to get off the bar stool. She ended up toppling to the ground, Lucine just laughing at the scene.

"Alicia?" the bartender asked, "Who's she?"

"Oh, just someone she tries too hard to keep safe," Lucine sighed, hopping down and slinging Meryet over her shoulder. "Let me take her back, and somehow hope that this made her feel better." She motioned the action of putting a gun to one's head.

"You involved with her?" the girl behind the counter asked.

"As someone who tries to keep her from driving herself insane, certainly." Lucine started walking away, looking over her shoulder. "In any other way, well…what's your name?"

"Natasha," the girl called.

"Then Natasha, I'll be right back." Lucine grinned before hurrying off.

* * *

Meryet woke with a start. A massive headache slammed into her immediately, but she didn't care. She would have had to try to care. Worse pains had affected her. Instead, she searched for the one person she held in as high esteem as herself.

Alicia wasn't there. The Knight leapt from the bed in an instant, inadvertently summoning her bow as she scanned her surroundings. "You're awake," A quiet voice called. The instant recognition of it as Alicia prevented the one at the bedroom door from receiving an arrow to the head.

"Meryet, are you alright?" Alicia asked, shocked at Meryet, even as the Knight stood up straight and dissipated her weapon. "Did you get drunk?"

Meryet instantly understood why she remembered little of the previous night. "Well…" There was nothing to be said in her defense. "I guess I did." Her voice was heavy with shame. She almost found herself crying. That was before she leapt towards Alicia, grabbing the girl's hand. "Are you alright? Were you alright alone? I'm sorry I left."

"It's ok," Alicia smiled, "There's no problem at all. I hope you had fun." Meryet almost laughed at that.

"Well, I think Lucine had more fun than I, do you know where she is?" the taller girl asked, stretching herself out. She dulled down her pain receptors, the headache disappearing in a flash.

Alicia shook head. "She mentioned something about being a bit late today," she turned around, heading back into the main room of the suite, specifically towards the spacious kitchen. Meryet could smell food, and simultaneously felt happy and sad that the girl had made something for her.

Walking along, Meryet sighed at what Lucine had said, knowing it to be true. _She's going to sleep with every girl in a five-mile radius before we leave here,_ Meryet thought. _It's not like anyone will reprimand her, though._ And there was no real reason to do so. _Honestly, short flings like that are better in the end then lasting relationships._ Meryet winced at her own logic, trying not to think of Alicia. _But it is true._

She shook her head, _thinking like that isn't good. I'll give the nearest inquisitor a call today, see if I can arrange something._ There wasn't much she could do in the end, but she'd try her hardest.

* * *

Reclining in the chair without a care in the world, the girl certainly didn't like an inquisitor. She waved Meryet over as she stepped onto the balcony, escorted by one of the inquisitor's assistants. The blonde quickly stood from the chair, her normal uniform appearing in a flash.

"Meryet Aleanudh, correct?" She extended her hand. Meryet shook it, finding the girl's shake to be excited, somewhat fierce. "Lena Holohan," her voice was formal, as if the two were at an official function.

"Thank you for meeting me," Meryet said, bowing her head gently.

Lena disagreed. "No, I should be thanking you. I jump at the chance to root out problems like this. You already briefed me, so let's see this girl." Meryet called Alicia out.

A hand raised to shield herself from the bright sun, the girl approached sheepishly. Eyes squinting, her other hand stretched out to shake Lena's hand. Alicia looked ready to bolt under the harsh, analytic stare she received. Were it not such a vital matter, Meryet might have criticized the women for scaring Alicia in such a way. "Alicia Aedd," she introduced herself quietly, Lena giving her name as well.

Lena stood up straight, looking over the girl a few times before saying anything. "Well, there's the smell of something strange about her." She spoke as if Alicia wasn't in the room, "Let me take a closer look." She said all this to Meryet. "Give me about half an hour, maybe more." She nodded to the assistant at the door, before hurriedly entering back inside, the assistant following.

Another girl stepped gracefully out, dressed in a long gown. She frowned at Meryet, "Just a warning, you won't get a result you'll like." A couple strands of her dark hair were spun around by a solitary finger.

"What do you mean by that?" Meryet asked, stepping towards her.

The girl in the gown smiled, looking off to the side, towards the light blue ocean waters. "Ms. Holohan isn't the most forgiving of Inquisitors. A hardline Puritan, you could say."

"That's why I brought Alicia. I want someone to look at her without disregarding a single detail." Meryet explained.

The other girl raised a single finger in the traditional motion to wait. "I don't know. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think you want Alicia to be alright, but continuing to bring her in like this will only raise suspicion. Eventually, someone will find something just for the sake of finding something."

Meryet shrugged, "I've known her for a long time. I want to make sure she's safe." Her voice was low, near a whisper. "But I won't start believing that something is truly wrong." _I'll never do that,_ she swore to herself.

"Keep up that determination," The girl recommended, "Keep up that hope." She chuckled, "Too many bad cases in this business has just made me an overly cynical skeptic."

Meryet turned to look around at the balcony. "Feel free to take a seat and relax." The girl said.

"What's your name?" Meryet asked. The girl looked surprised. As if she had to spend a moment remembering it, there was a brief silence.

"Maria," She said, "Maria Renovere." Then she spun on her heel and slipped back inside, as if she'd never been there. Meryet watched the doorway for a minute, then sat down on one of the padded chairs sitting on the balcony. She got the distinct feeling that eyes were watching her, but didn't try looking for them.

Instead, she merely reminisced on what had brought her to this point, while hoping that her fears would never, ever be justified.

* * *

Despite all that I had been through, I wasn't feeling particularly hungry. My finger poked at the bread gently, not motivated to do anything more. I figured my stomach should be growling, but I didn't notice it if it was. All the past day, I'd been too wrapped up in my own thoughts. I'd regret it the moment I stepped outside, but at the moment, reminiscing on my life seemed a bit more important.

A rather thoughtful sigh came from across the table. I hadn't noticed the motion. It wasn't Aurelia there, of course. We were both trying as hard as we could to dislike one another, and make that dislike clear to everyone else. Because of this, and because of the way Mariana had forced me away from Priscilla and her, I was interested in who was sitting down.

"Greetings," a gentle voice said. I instantly recognized the accent and politeness of the speech as that of a noble. It wasn't Aurelia's, so I didn't really care.

Looking up at her, I vaguely recalled her voice and appearance from before. In my squad certainly. Her name was something with a 'c' at the beginning. Any more than that slipped from my mind. "What?" I asked. Fittingly, it was cold. A testament to whatever brought her there that she didn't leave right then.

The harsh snap gave her pause, but she still sat down. I hid the look of disapproval on my face as best I could, but the emotion certainly infected the way I sat. "You look lonely," the girl explained. Her hand lifted a bit of bread to her mouth as she sat.

This girl had long brown hair, reaching past her waist. Some of it was tied behind her in a ponytail. She brushed it out from under her as she sat. Her costume had a grey color scheme to it. Her hands were bare, while a long-sleeved grey coat covered her torso. A single black tie ran over the cloth coat, which had a high collar. From what I remembered of her before, her skirt went a little over halfway down her thighs in the front, but lengthened equally on each side till it went down to the back of her shins in the rear. Her feet were covered by short black boots, but were otherwise bare.

"Who are you?" I asked, that annoyance now expressing itself in my voice.

"I'm Catarina," she said, trying to put on a smile. Neither of us really knew what to do. Catarina was eating, obviously remembering the importance of sustenance. I just tried to think some way out of this, considering the time we had left before this break would be over.

Unfortunately, those fifteen minutes left weren't going to go quickly. Or so I thought. "And why are you here?" I asked.

She hesitated, put-off by my tone, "I already told, didn't I?" Catarina questioned, "I figured you might not like sitting alone. I can't say I'm one who can just put off everyone else forever, so I thought maybe…" She ended with a shrug.

I rolled my eyes. In full view of Catarina. Her lips moved. Even as I spoke, she tried to suppress the smirk. "You know what, I 'thought maybe' too. But then it turned out that everything's somehow my fault. That seems to happen with idiots." I threw my arms up, "Maybe I haven't talked to many people, but all the idiots seem to think everything is my fault."

"Are you sure you're not the idiot?" Catarina asked. My expression quickly shifted to an angry one. But before I could open my mouth to start shouting, Catarina held up a hand. "Please, don't. I apologize. I understand, in a way, what you're saying."

Her calmness was what made me take a step back. A refreshing break from Aurelia's incessant noisiness. "You see, the only reason I'm here looking for someone to talk to is because the bond with my partner is rather…strained at the moment. Similar to your own situation." Her polite way of talking certainly contrasted anything else I'd seen.

It made me shift my attitude. I sat up straight, clasped my hands on the table, and looked right back at her. Catarina relaxed a little. "What's the problem between you two?" I asked.

A finger playing with a lock of hair beside her face, Catarina took a deep breath. "A theological argument. I'd rather not speak on the matter, I don't know your beliefs. You understand, right?" Her voice was unsteady, but barely slipped from the polite demeanor of before.

I nodded, remembering their conversation. Not ground where one could tread lightly. "I apologize for intruding. I suppose my problems with Aurelia, my partner I mean, are far less complicated."

"I can see you two just don't like one another." Catarina said softly, "Got off on the wrong foot, and things have went from there. Makes sense." I tensed up at her easy unraveling of the situation, till I remembered my own words.

Chuckling, I remarked, "I suppose things are really that simple in the end, aren't they?" Catarina tapped her fingers on the table, just warmly smiling in reply. "Well, do you have a solution for this dilemma?"

That made her think. "I can't say I do. I'd like to help though, not that I'll ask compensation on your part. I don't think much can be done by an outside party for me." Catarina sounded a bit sad. She stared off to the side. Her eyes longed to see something that wasn't there. "We'd be good friends if it weren't for our differences."

I didn't speak till she did. Wiping the other sounds from her voice, Catarina continued at where she was. "I think I can at best give you advice. Approaching her would be rather…obvious. Besides-" She gestured over to where Aurelia now sat. Another girl was beside her. "Mine has already found a new friend. Going to Aurelia now would be rather awkward."

Unfortunately, she was correct. "Well, what's the advice?" I asked. Inspired by the example Catarina set, I kept myself up straight. It wasn't that she was critical of me. That would have just inspired me to further rebel. Rather, it was the desire to not slip below the level she'd set.

Catarina had to think for a few seconds. "I'd say that the situation you're in is an awkward one. If this was normal life, you two could let this rest till it naturally concluded. But as we are now, it needs to be resolved. Germana won't intervene, but I think someone else will." She broke away from my sight as she continued. "And while I do not desire to be selfish…I cannot say I am comfortable with this conflict continuing in the squad which I shall serve in."

I nodded. It stung at my heart, but it was a logical concern. "Then you think I should act to resolve this? I already have, and it hasn't worked. I already told you about how Aurelia's acting." I started to get a little annoyed.

"That's precisely the problem." Catarina said. Her fingers tapped against one another. She started and stopped several times before finding the right words. "You see, Vergiana. When you get wrapped up like this emotionally, you tend to see things the wrong way. Perhaps Aurelia is doing things wrong, but you are as well." Catarina then immediately looked away. "I have some experience with this kind of thing, so please, listen to me."

My anger flared up instantly, but something about the way she said made me restrain the emotion. Unlike Aurelia's unbridled anger, Catarina actually criticized me in a more civilized manner. That satisfied the selfish part of me. "Well, I suppose I can consider it." I said quietly.

Catarina pushed the matter though. In a rare moment of actual forcefulness, she insisted, "Vergiana, don't take this lightly. If you let this simmer, it'll either end and you two will be the best of friends, or it will explode and you two will never speak to each other again. Think carefully. You could lose this forever."

Just saying those words seemed to bring up a bad memory for her. The awkwardness in the air helped to accelerate her escape from the table. I didn't watch her go, too busy staring blankly at the wood.

Frankly, I wasn't sure why I cared so much. My conversations with Aurelia had taught me that I hadn't had a real friend besides my sister. Maybe it was some desire to not botch things on the first try. No, it wasn't that. I remembered the way we leaned on each other when we first arrived. It made me feel safe, to some extent. I wasn't going to just let any chance of that occurring again slip away forever.

 _Lose this forever,_ the three words somehow changed the entire way I thought about this whole situation. The first real friend I ever had could get torn away from me, and it would be our faults. I told myself then that I'd find a solution, somehow.

* * *

In the skies above, the stars twinkled. I'd seen the sight myself many times. The infinite blackness dotted with bright points of light had never gotten tiring to see. Though I enjoyed the view, it never struck me as something to stare blank-eyed at, like it was the most wondrous thing I'd seen.

It was why I hesitated when I saw Aurelia standing there with her head tilted back. Unusually for her, she didn't seem to care about anything else but the sky. Her focus was such that I followed her gaze upwards, just to check that I wasn't missing something.

But the night sky was the same as it had always been. Nothing had changed. I knew that far out there, people were dying violently every second. But I pushed the thought quickly from my head. A moment was taken to steady my resolve. I reviewed the vague plan of action, and started forwards.

For all her focus, I still expected Aurelia to turn her head suddenly to me. Unexpectedly, she didn't. Her eyes kept looking up. Maybe she did notice and was just waiting for the right moment. Or perhaps my steps were too quiet, and her concentration too deep.

I kept walking, keeping my eyes focused on Aurelia. After a couple seconds, every step was shaky, but I remembered what I'd heard earlier that day. Fear wouldn't make me run. When I came within ten feet, she jumped. Obviously startled, she shouted out rapidly, "What do you want?"

That made me step back. Jaw dropping, I searched for the right words. Aurelia turned fully towards. The look she gave me was an angry one. I had interrupted her privacy. "I'm sorry," I started, "But…"

"But what?" She demanded I hurry. As if to force me, she stepped forwards. My eyes caught side of the balled fists at her sides. But we both should have known by now that such posturing only made things worse.

A hand coming to my forehead, I sighed. Then I started to speak. "Aurelia, things can't go on like this. We can't keep staying away from each other, hating each other, or else we won't actually get anything accomplished." My heart rate had probably doubled just from speaking like this, not driving by anger. "Somehow, we need to find a way to settle our differences. Fighting it out isn't going to work, so I came here to try and…to try and talk to you."

I took a deep breath, almost falling over as my legs shook uncontrollably. This was perhaps almost as hard as making the contract. "I know I've tried before and failed, but I promise not to be stupid this time. All I'm asking is that you act rationally, and don't just assume everything I say is somehow against you!" I pleaded with her, hands on my chest.

Aurelia ruminated on the words for a few seconds. Then she spun around, crossing her arms. "I'm frankly tired of fighting with you. It's all the same at this point. Go on, try and say something smart for once."

I honestly hadn't expected this. Looking back, I realize that I had forgotten that Aurelia had more emotions than what she revealed to me. In the moment, I blundered. "Is this just another game? I wanted to talk to you, not have you brush me off like I don't mean anything to you!"

The brunette looked over her shoulder, frowning. "What makes you think you mean something to me?" She asked.

That was a mistake on her part. "We're going to be partners for at least three years. We're expected to live and train together. If that doesn't mean anything to you, then you should just leave right now. Consider just joining the traitors properly as well, as you're already in their mindset." Of course, the harshness of my reply was uncalled for as well.

"Vergiana…" Aurelia growled. She turned around, taking a step forwards. "Are you accusing me of being a traitor?"

"I'm trying to get you to talk to me," I spat back, "Like an idiot, you haven't really listened to me at all, Aurelia." I tensed as she slowly walked towards me.

She nodded as if she suddenly understood. "So, you're just angry that I'm not bowing before you, huh?" Aurelia asked. My cheeks flared red with anger.

"That's not true," I stated, "I'm angry because you won't ever listen to me. When I try to talk to you, you always respond to me like I'm attacking you."

"Whenever you talk to me, you are attacking me," Aurelia replied with a scoff. "Come on, Vergiana, can you at least think for once?"

"Can you?" I requested. "Just listen to me, and stop acting so stupid!"

"Fine," Aurelia threw her arms, stepping back a few feet. "Go on, say what you want to say. If you think you're so smart, then go ahead and do it!"

Still angry at her, I started, "I want us to talk about the various problems we have. Obviously they are affecting our behaviors even now-"

"I'm not," Aurelia cut in, "I'm not talking about my past. I don't care if you want to share with whoever, but I'm not the same as you."

"I don't want to share with whoever!" I cried, "I want to talk to you, because we are supposed to be partners! We're supposed to be working together! We're supposed to be building _some_ kind of companionship!"

To that, Aurelia merely nodded. "I get it. But you aren't helping. Just back off for once." She shook her head. Without another word, she made to leave.

I stepped in front of her. "Stop it!" I demanded, "This is what I'm talking about. Whether it's by driving me away, or by walking off, you keep running away from your own problems. Nothing will be resolved if you keep doing this."

Aurelia looked amazed at my inability to understand. "Vergiana, I don't want your help. You don't seem to understand that while I do have problems, I don't want your help. Nor do I need it. I can handle them on my own."

"You're still just rejecting me!" I stamped my foot down. "Don't turn things around on me!"

That flared her anger up even more. "You're the one forcing yourself on me!" She spat. I'd had enough. I'd approached her out of my own good will, in search of a resolution that could satisfy both of us. But she'd just tossed all that away.

"I hate you!" I screamed, doing something I wouldn't end up regretting. My fist swung out towards her face. Her eyes widened as she threw her arm up to block. It wasn't difficult to stop the inaccurate strike. But I was throwing myself towards, wildly throwing my other arm out as well. She pushed that to the side before I barreled into her.

Not having had time to ground herself, Aurelia fell onto her rear as I landed atop her. Her knee was quickly coming up, before the leg extended and kicked me off. She leapt after me. Barely wavering, she took a kick to the stomach, trading the pain for the chance to grab my leg. Grasping it in her hands, she started to twist, the growing pain forcing me to flip onto my stomach.

Aurelia spun around as I rolled to the side. Her fist landed in the grass, and I swung out for her face. She crumpled down again as my fist impacted, before I swung in with my left. Aurelia went backwards with another blow to her face, but not before her foot twisted my head round.

With both of us on our backs, it was a test of who could get up first. That was Aurelia, who backed away rather than continue the melee on the ground. I struggled to my feet, anger coursing through my body. We both stared at each other for a couple seconds. I think we both considered what we were doing in those moments. And neither of us let go of the anger.

Aurelia rushed towards me. Her right feinted to my stomach, before her left came in at my neck. Palm spread out, she hit me dead on. A kick to my right leg only aided my fall, but I stumbled at first, giving me time to grab her hand. Aurelia came down with me, and fell atop me.

My fist inches from her face, I struck out at her, and she flinched back. Then my other fist hit her. She came back at me, then again. I retaliated. Neither of us willing to back down from the engagement, it turned into a fistfight on the cold grass.

Under that vast sky of stars, amongst which trillions of stories were playing out, perhaps one of the pettiest of all of them came to a climax in a little grassy field on a lonely mountain.

Aurelia and I beat each other to a bloody mess. Striking again and again, we left bruises all over. It was merely a test of endurance after a point. Aurelia had more. It was a foregone conclusion from the very beginning.

So when I collapsed, near motionless, on the ground, I wasn't really surprised. Blood dripped from all over my face, black and blue patches covered my torso. My breathing was light, and every inhalation and exhalation brought with it pain. On my back, I stared up into the sky.

I could see her above me. I was still angry. She was still angry. This wasn't going to end here. We were magical girls. Only if the soul gem was shattered could we die. Till then, we were sure that anything else would be fine. I suddenly gasped for air. She was above me, with her fingers wrapped around my neck.

My mouth opened and closed as she pulled tighter and tighter. I barely tried to resist. I couldn't, and I also knew that perhaps this was what I deserved. In those few seconds, I really considered what I'd done. _I guess I was forceful with her, a bit too much. I was the one who didn't care. I just wanted my way._ An odd moment of clarity, but, at least in my experience, one's mind gets a lot clearer when it realizes death is at hand.

As the world grew fully black, I realized that I was going to die. For the first time. It was to be by the hand of someone I'd tried to help. Still, my hand reached out as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Aurelia's hands fell limp. I gasped for air as I found the world suddenly lighting up. The weight was off of me. Amazed, I stared at the girl who inexplicably spared my life.

The girl that stood above me shook hard, only barely managing to keep herself up. Her appearance was similar to mine. A sudden gust of wind blew through. Aurelia was looking absent-mindedly off towards the distance. Her hair was whipped up around her face, settling back to normal quickly.

I could see her crying as well. A long time passed. I say a long time because I can't possibly tell you how long it actually was. All I know is that for me and Aurelia, it was an eternity before she spoke.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. The words were almost lost in the intensifying wind. Her tone was honest. I wanted to believe that she was lying, but I couldn't, not after what just happened. Aurelia then turned to look at me. "I didn't think anyone would care about me. But Vergiana, even though you're an idiot." She had to smirk at that. "A total idiot, you really do care, don't you?"

I didn't meet her gaze, blushing. "I do care, I guess. I want to…" I trailed off, not able to give out the explanation.

Aurelia took a few steps towards me. She reached out with her hand. I looked at it, doubting the gesture for a few moments. Then I gingerly reached up and grasped it. She pulled me up, before stumbling over herself. I grabbed her shoulder with my opposite hand and held her up.

In the end, we stood up with the help of each other. The two of us ended up looking in opposite directions, as we were right beside one another. "I'm so quiet because I regret what I've done. I'm not so sure making the contract and coming here was a good idea," Aurelia said softly. I could feel sadness in her voice, but also fear.

Taking the queue, I managed to force out, "I want to be your friend because I'm scared of the future. It's all unknown from here, so I want to control as much as I can in the meantime." Silence for a few seconds.

Then we turned to face one another. Faces still covered in blood and bruises, we smiled. At the same time, we almost fell over. "I think it's time we got some sleep." I said. It was late. A bit past the time we were supposed to be in bed. We turned towards our building, and started walking.

We weren't friends. Aurelia had taught me what it meant to have a friend. I knew that I couldn't trust her entirely, and that I didn't feel too close to her. But what we had now was better than before. We respected each other, and realized that we could in fact see each other on the same level.

Neither of us regretted the bruises covering our body. We didn't regret the pain each step brought. It had only made us closer. Not nearly close as we should have been, but good enough for the moment. We knew it would only grow from there.

We stood before the door back inside. Aurelia took the lead. She opened it for me. A voice inside died down in the middle of a sentence. I stepped in. The dim lights on the ceiling were on. Aurelia came in behind me, but they'd already seen everything by then.

All eight of the other members of my squad were up in their beds, all staring straight at the two of us. I tried to crack a bit of a grin, but the awkwardness made me want to turn and run. Some of them were scared, others were interested.

My eyes fell on Mariana. Her eyes flicked upwards to Priscilla, then intensified in their glare directed at me. She shook her head almost imperceptibly. _Don't come near her again,_ she spoke telepathically to me. Truly a shame that as a telepath, my first experience with the basic ability was on those terms.

I looked away, and found Catarina. She grinned at me. Her head nodded in approval, just telling from the way Aurelia and I stood by each other that things had improved.

I walked to my own bed, and silently climbed up. The others were already starting to lay back. They'd been up speculating about the two of us. Now that we were back, there wasn't any reason for them to stay awake. I'm sure there'd be a lot said in the morning, but for now, we were all tired.

"Goodnight," Aurelia called to me from below.

Surprised by the gesture, I hastily called back to her. "Goodnight," I said softly. I lay back with a sense of relief. Things weren't perfect, but they were better. Even though I doubted my ability to sleep amidst the pain, I knew that I wouldn't regret this night. Not now, and not ever.

Not to skip too far ahead, but I never did.

* * *

End of Chapter 7 of Record

* * *

Just now, on the planet of Ephesus, the latest treaty with the Tau Empire has been signed. Per the accord, a dozen worlds shall be ceded back to the Imperium. All inhabitants are allowed eight days to leave, no more. With the latest string of assaults against the Empire completely crushing its military strength, and with Ork, Chaos, Necron, and even Tyranid threats pushing in on its borders, the Segmentum command believes that the Empire has perhaps a century left in its lifetime.

For now, the war is over. If rumors are to be believed, then it could start against the moment the truce ends, in five years' time, or it could start in a century. With the Black Crusade situation worsening, most doubt it will be the former, but I personally do not believe the Lifewardens will miss a chance at wiping out one of the biggest threats in the Segmentum.

-Announcement from Inquisitor Laci Corricindus at the conclusion of the Treaty of Ephesus


	10. The Clouds Darken

Memory Manipulator: Memory manipulators are a relatively rare type. Only a couple hundred thousand are believed to be in existence across the galaxy. They are effectively a more specialized sort of Telepath. Acting in a similar way, although some require a direct physical connection to use their powers, memory manipulators reach into the target's brain and connect via magic particles. This connection can be used to manipulate the target's memories, recalling them, deleting them, or changing them. Memory manipulators are far more effective than telepaths at this job, and can return memories hundreds of years old and behind significant mental barriers without half the effort a normal telepath would require.

 _-Grimoire Ingenium_

* * *

As the last bits of energy from the transfer faded away, and the last bits of rumbling ceased, the bridge was already a hive of activity. The lingering danger of the warp energy faded away, telepathic communications went back and forth all over the ship, every sector confirming its integrity.

The astroclairvoyant was already sweeping the surrounding space, while the ship was powered up back to normal status. "Has there been any change to the plan?" Columbine asked.

Astikai raised her eyebrows in interest. "Has there been?" That girl replied.

Columbine suppressed a sigh. "No, there hasn't been."

"Then it shall continue as intended," Astikai called out, "Plot a course southwest. Take a few hours to confirm the route, we should have such time." The minutes started to drag by. Columbine looked behind herself, confirming that Ushio had barely moved at all.

 _Worried?_ Columbine asked. Frowning, Columbine turned all the way around to face the girl.

 _Escher…_ Ushio's voice echoed solemnly, _that name makes me feel so…nostalgic._

Not even a second later, the astroclairvoyant was crying out. _Ship detected! Scanning now! Images transferring, coordinates transferring! No insignia, does not match standard Deathwatch or Inquisitorial vessels. Not Grey Knights. Identity unknown! Distance fifty thousand kilometers!_

Columbine spun around as the viewscreen started to zoom in on the other vessel. Sure enough, it was a rather old class of ship, not something in standard use. It didn't bear any sort of insignia at all. _Incoming message!_ The astrotelepath announced.

It played in their minds, conveyed by that girl.

 _Dear Lady Astikai, and the crew of her vessel._

 _We understand that aboard your ship is a certain Ushio Uzuki. All we ask for is for you to hand over Ms. Uzuki and all information pertaining to her, as well as all of her possessions. Should you choose to comply, we expect you to send her by way of shuttle. Should you choose to refuse, then we shall take her from you ourselves._

The message ended. Columbine looked to her leader. And for once in her entire life, Astikai looked concerned for a split second. Then her cold face returned. She replied herself. _We will not comply with threats. You are welcome to come here yourself. You will not succeed._

There wasn't a reply. Astikai turned to Columbine. "You're staying here." She ordered, "Do not move from this spot." There wasn't any doubt as to why she made that so clear. "When can we leave?" Astikai asked.

 _About half an hour. It took me a few minutes to get centered after the warp exit, so they are only ten minutes away._ Astikai nodded, turning for the doors.

"Make a plan," She ordered Columbine, "But stay here." Columbine watched her leave, before turning uneasily to Ushio.

 _Who are they?_ She growled mentally. A shudder ran through Ushio's body. Columbine calmed herself down, seeing that the girl was more put off by this than anyone.

Her voice was quiet as she said, _maybe I knew them once, but I don't know them now._ Columbine stepped forwards.

Speaking sternly, yet still calmly, she said, _can you remember anything about them at all? Do you have any idea?_ All she received was a small shake of the head. Columbine stamped her foot on the ground. She turned around, watching the ship draw closer.

A plan was formulating in her mind. Said plan just proved Astikai's suspicions correct, but all that thought made Columbine do was smirk. _Ingwe,_ she called.

 _I heard what's happening. Stuck with Ushio?_ The girl asked.

Columbine confirmed, _on the bridge, I think Astikai has an idea of what's going on, but she hasn't said a word. She left. Not sure what she's doing._

 _Do you think it's time? These people, who are they?_

 _I don't know, but we have to think quickly. If I do my job, they won't get Ushio, but if I don't, they will._ Columbine cursed under her breathe, _and Ushio seems to know something, but can't remember it. If for nothing else, I'd want to get out of here just to find out what that is._

 _Think carefully, Columbine. I'm expected to assist, but I won't act until you give the word. Over anything else, ask Ushio._ Ingwe cut the line. Columbine sighed heavily. She stormed to Ushio, grabbing the girl by the collar.

She spoke quietly enough for her voice to go unheard by anyone else, amidst the chaos of the bridge. "Ushio, I can get you out of here. Tell me right now if going with these people is the right choice."

Ushio's eyes went wide. She started breathing quickly. "Columbine…I don't know. I feel like there's something I should remember…but I can't!"

She almost dropped to the floor when Columbine released her hold. Holding up her right hand, Columbine kept staring into Ushio's. Suddenly that hand glowed a bright blue. "This will hurt, don't scream." Then that hand shot out and grabbed Ushio's face, gripping down tight.

Ushio's breath choked up. Her face twisted in pain and fear as Columbine held onto her tightly, refusing to let her drop. A few seconds passed, Columbine averting her gaze for most of them. After Ushio started to go limp entirely, she was released.

The girl hit the ground, staring up in fear at Columbine. Breathlessly, Ushio tried to say, "…need…with…them…" Columbine reached out, helping her up. As soon as she could recompose herself, Ushio shouted out, "I have to go with them! I have to!"

The words changed the course of everything. But Columbine still had to think. _If I don't intervene, Astikai will certainly kill them all, and finding out the truth will be harder. This gives me a chance._ She looked deep into the frightened eyes of Columbine, _and besides, I won't let this girl be harmed anymore._

Columbine moved in an instant while grabbing Ushio's hand, knowing that the others already heard. The bridge doors opened before her, and Ushio was pulled along right behind her, barely able to stand on her own. _Ingwe,_ she called out, _it's time to go._

* * *

The two ran through the halls. _It won't be long before they find me. The only chance is to find a way out._ She found the others in her squad, sending a brief message. _I'm sorry._

To the ones who had called them before, Columbine replied, _this is Columbine Frieden. Ushio Uzuki is under my protection. I am willing to bring you her. The only condition is that you take me and my comrade along._

A response came instantly, from the same voice. _Meet us in the second starboard hangar, Ms. Frieden._ Columbine turned at the next corner, racing down another hall on the path there.

"I figured this was your cue." A voice called out. Columbine came to a stop, seeing Cherepia step out into the hallway behind her. "Interesting choice, but it's why I'm here."

Columbine didn't turn around. "How much fun do you have, being her little pet?" The girl asked.

"Her little pet?" Cherepia echoed. She brought up a finger to her face, staring off to the side as if disinterested. "Well, I guess I'm not that good of a pet then."

"Why's that?" Columbine growled, annoyed already.

Cherepia grinned. "Because I'm not going to stop you."

Columbine turned around, shoving Ushio out of her line of sight. "Then why not come with me?"

The other girl shrugged, as if there wasn't an answer. "I exist to annoy you. But you're right, I'd never want you to die."

Columbine intensified her glare for a second, before turning around and running away. Ushio accompanied her. "Stay safe!" Columbine begrudgingly called back.

She knew exactly who was pointing the gun at her as she came around the corner. Columbine didn't stop moving, only looking with shame into the eyes of her comrade. The girl put her gun down. _What are you doing?_ She asked as Columbine kept going.

 _Something selfish,_ she communicated to only Alice, _you might die if you stay or go._ Columbine didn't look back as she left the girl behind. She prayed that the others would be as merciful.

 _On the way,_ Ingwe called, _hang on a minute more._ Columbine emerged into a tall room, multiple tiers going up and down from where they were in the middle. It didn't take any advanced intuition to guess a trap would be set.

"I guess Cherepia didn't do her job," A voice chuckled. Columbine pushed Ushio aside as she barely dodged the blade from above. A single armored foot landed gently on the pommel. Margareta smirked from atop the claymore, arms on her hips. "Tell me, did you defeat her, or did she just let you go?"

"You don't need to know the answer," Columbine stared up at Margareta from the side of the narrow bridge. Ushio pushed herself against the wall. With a flash, Columbine's armor appeared around her. "Now come on, kill me or don't."

Bowing gracefully, Margareta said, "I shan't delay." She tipped backwards, flipping off the sword so as to propel it into the air. The knight effortlessly caught the spinning weapon, lunging forwards in the same motion. A screeching sound filled the air as the blade scraped against armor.

Columbine danced backwards as Margareta merely stepped forwards. Her blade was fast enough to put her opponent on the defensive without even really trying. Then a lower sound echoed through the room, as metal cut into metal.

The blonde stumbled back, minding the cut on her chest. Just armor damage, but she couldn't last long. The sound of several shots was the only reason she was still alive. While Columbine expected Ingwe's appearance, she instead saw Ushio, bolter raised.

Every shot was easily deflected. But now, Margareta stood with her blade pointed at Ushio, her left side entirely exposed. Columbine's hand glowed bright, and she leapt forwards. Margareta moved like lightning, her blade slamming into Columbine's midsection.

It cut till the spine, were it finally lost momentum from the force of flesh, blood, bone, armor, and the surrounding magic fields. But Columbine's hand was on Margareta's bare head. The girl briefly flinched, but her hand still came up to send Columbine flying back with a bone-crushing punch to the face.

Still stumbling, Margareta could only narrowly avoid Ushio's next barrage. But several bolts still took her in the chest. Rather than continue, Margareta exited, falling from the bridge to the level below. Ushio glanced briefly at the girl as she knelt down, then ran to Columbine.

"Columbine!" Ingwe shouted out, storming in. A single revolver was drawn. Ushio nodded to the side of the bridge. Nothing was there when the gun-wielding girl checked. "Pick her up!" she ordered to Ushio, "We need to move! Columbine, if you have a plan, now's the time!"

 _The plan is…_ Columbine sounded rather dejected, _hope that the cavalry saves us._

* * *

 _Do not worry,_ the girl's voice was perfectly calm. There wasn't the slightest hint of anything but perfect tranquility. _We shall arrive at your position in three minutes, less if you continue moving._ Columbine was on her feet again, but that didn't make anything any better.

While those of her squad were letting her pass freely, the others were not. Most were mustered towards the obvious breaching points, such as the hangars, in order to fight off the invaders, but Margareta and the other top fighters among the Khornates were on the hunt.

 _My notes!_ Ushio cried, _can we get to them?!_

 _There's no way we can!_ Columbine shouted. _I trust Ciuatl to not get involved unless she is directly threatened. We can't fight her and all the others. If Astikai hasn't gotten involved yet, she will by the time we get through Ciuatl, even if we are saved. Besides, Margareta is still after us._

The three emerged into a large intersection of four hallways. As if cued by Columbine, a red figure leapt from the side. From the other direction came one in violet. "They're mine, Delyth!" Margareta screamed as Ingwe blocked her and fired back.

Dancing around Columbine's strikes, the Slaaneshi called out in a singsong voice, "We'll see who gets them first!" Columbine instantly knew that they were in trouble. There was only so much that could be done against the two of them. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw others waiting. Not long now.

Then everyone scattered at the sound of gunfire. Columbine swore she saw bolts pass right before her eyes, yet not a single one struck her, Ingwe, or Ushio. Explosions covered the entire room as hundreds of bolt rounds ripped apart everything.

Margareta let out a cry, leaping at the source of the shots. Columbine couldn't keep up with what happened next. Another girl leapt forth, armored but without a weapon. With only her hands she fought Margareta to a standstill. Then Delyth leapt forwards.

"Come this way please," ordered an armored girl as she dissipated a massive weapon that could only be described as some sort of bolter-chain gun. Then she raced forwards, striking out at Delyth, whose back was turned by the combat with the other. The Slaaneshi tried to spin around, but her dodge only meant that the girl's arm went through her stomach rather than her chest.

Screaming out in a mix of pleasure and pain, Delyth was blasted from her impalement, before her attacker materialized the chain gun again. While in midair, Delyth was assaulted by a single second of fire from the weapon. Her comrades moving in as the girl fell to the ground as a bloody tatter.

Columbine rushed forwards as Margareta's comrades joined her fight. Yet the unarmed girl seemed to hold them off easily. Once again, the other girl leapt into the midst of the battle. Margareta only barely dodged the strike, the girl's arm instead piercing another Khornate.

A sharp crack preceded the Khornate crumpling to the ground as fragments floated down from the girl's palm. That incited Margareta to withdraw, obviously disturbed by the prowess of her enemy. "Keep going," one ordered as Columbine ran past them, "The way is clear."

From behind, a shout almost gave Columbine pause. "Running away?" Astikai called. She walked slowly down the hall. Heel to toe she stepped gracefully, eyes going back and forth across Columbine and the others. "Ah, _your_ new friends…" She glanced to Delyth and the motionless body of the Khornate. "Looks like they haven't changed one bit…" Astikai stopped moving. She took a deep breath, before staring directly at the two she spoke of. "Hello again, _my_ old friends."

"Run!" Columbine shouted to the other two, "Run now!" She insisted when they hesitated. Both armored girls turn and ran. _We can't beat her. She won't even use her full power, and she'll still kill us all._ Only proving her point, a dazzlingly bright spear came flashing like lightning down the corridor.

The one who had summoned the chain gun spun around, reaching out both arms. A field of blue energy appeared before her. "Withdraw." She ordered as a thunderous bang signaled the spear's impact. The unarmed girl continued moving, and Columbine lead the way. They turned a corner.

Looking back revealed the spear not slowing, till the shield burst with a loud pop. The tip of the weapon was only a few inches from the girl's chest. Yet she easily rolled around the next. The resulting explosion blotted out any other images, and then the next corner was turned.

 _She'll be fine,_ the unarmed girl promised. Her helmet dissipated, revealing a head of short white hair. Androgynous, one could say. _I'm Tamashii,_ she named herself before pointing back, _that's Dvasia._

Columbine knew where they were. One hallway more, then a turn, and they'd be at the entrance to the second starboard hangar. _Anything else in our way?_ She asked Tamashii. The albino girl shook her head.

A quick series of explosions proceeded a loud screech as Dvasia slid across the metal floor, tossed by the blinding detonations. "I cannot continue this battle without a dangerous expenditure of magic," she spoke in a monotone.

With Dvasia now alongside them, they continued. "Astikai won't chase us quickly. She wants to scare us." Columbine knew that if she wanted them dead, they'd be dead.

 _Link in,_ Tamashii ordered, opening up her mental network to the others. They all tapped in, seeing that there were a dozen other magical girls in the hangar. Those were the only ones. Columbine felt a bit worried, but could see that they were hanging on, especially with her own girls staying out of the fight. At their pace, it was only a few seconds before they came to the hangar doors.

Yet before they could be opened, a voice from behind called out. Not the corridor from whence they came, but another one that led straight to the entrance. "I must say I did not expect this from you, Columbine." Clementine sounded disappointed. She raised the large cannon in her hands. She was surrounded by several of her girls.

Dvasia was firing before any they could. The loud roar of the chain gun filled the enclosed space as Tamashii called for the doors to be opened. Yet out of the flames came return fire, forcing the others to dodge. Dvasia did as well, leaping into the air, kicking off the walls and ceiling, moving around so that not a single shot hit her.

A loud bang from the side signaled something breaking the speed of sound. Columbine spun her head to see the shining spear coming forth in slow motion. Only for someone to get in its way.

Tamashii, arm glowing, extended her right palm in front of the weapon. She grunted as the metal went straight through her arm, protruding a little from the shoulder. But the girl didn't shudder. She waved for the open doors, leaping through with the others.

 _Can you pilot?_ Dvasia asked her over the network. Columbine gasped in shock as she saw what sat in the middle of the hangar. Now, the two newcomers were leaping towards the sixteen foot tall bipedal vehicle. Shaped like a bulky knight, the machine carried a large blade in the left hand and had a chain gun slung under the right arm. About six foot long wing shapes stretching out of the back contained additional thrusters. The entire thing was painted black, no insignia whatsoever.

Columbine had to admit that she was impressed. _How'd you get your hands on a Dreadnought?_ She asked, glancing behind herself at Clementine and her girls, now emerging from the flames.

No response came to Columbine's question. _I'm fine,_ the albino replied to Dvasia, ignoring Columbine for the moment. Tamashii ripped the spear from her arm, and the weapon went clattering across the ground as she hopped into the lower of the two seats in the walker's chest. _Get in the shuttle,_ Tamashii ordered Columbine, _we'll handle things from here._

Columbine waved to the Thunderhawk near the edge of the hangar. The space wasn't entirely under control. There was an active firefight further down, against those who hadn't jumped at the chance to kill Columbine and her comrades, or at least watch them die.

Pounding up the ramp, Columbine heard the Dreadnought open fire. _Withdraw,_ Tamashii ordered to the others. _Engaging dispersal mode._ On that command, the others started rushing back. The Dreadnought, taking the full force of the around twenty girls, started to back up.

Columbine stepped aside, but still watched as the others rushed into the Thunderhawk. Taking a few steps backwards, the Dreadnought spread out its arms. Dozens of small tubes popped open, and a swarm of missiles was ushered forth.

Half of the hangar was covered in explosions as two more barrages were sent out, also filling the hallway with flame. Then the Dreadnought was spinning around, rushing for the exit. _Now!_ Tamashii cried. The Thunderhawk lifted off, the engines firing at maximum power.

The Dreadnought's rear thrusters fired. Columbine held on tight as the rear doors closed while the ship sharply turned to the right, going up and around the starship. As the Thunderhawk slowed to turn away over the ship, the walker caught up. Columbine could hear the thing docking with the clamps on the bottom. _Hurry!_ She cried, _Astikai can still kill us all!_ She found a clairvoyant monitoring the hangar, and her heart leapt into her throat. Without a helmet, Astikai stood at the mouth of the hangar, perfectly still. She faced towards the other ship, tens of thousands of kilometers away.

Columbine knew exactly what would follow. "Initiate transfer," she would say in her stern voice as her arms stretched out to either side. Then she was surrounded by bands of golden energy, and as she brought her arms to her stomach, they all flowed into a single point.

 _Faster!_ She screamed at the pilot, even though they were already on the other side of the ship. Her hands at her stomach as she bent over, Astikai suddenly pulled them away as though she drew something out of herself. They flared out to the side, as a bright light emerged from her.

Dozens of golden beams shot out from the center of her gut. Far out from the ship, squadrons of fighters were locked in dogfights. Everything that wasn't on Astikai's side was destroyed, traced by the beams that twisted and turned as though sentient. The void shields of the other warship was bombarded by impacts equal to those of capital class weapons.

A dozen came up around the ship, tailing the Thunderhawk. The vessel shot down along the side of the ship, before turning away as it reached the bottom. Still the golden bolts chased them. _You can't outrun them!_ She called to the pilot.

Then Columbine heard the Dreadnought move. It climbed atop the Thunderhawk, the vessel now speeding away from the ship. The bolts were incredibly close. _Full discharge authorized._ Dvasia announced flatly. _Engaging, please clear the area of fire._ She spoke as though it were a recording.

Through the clairvoyant, Columbine watched with awe as the Dreadnought dropped both its weapons, and materialized three chain guns around each arm. A storm of blue energy bolts poured forth at the approaching spears of light.

Right before they could hit the ship, they were slowly worn down before disintegrated by the storm of fire. Columbine almost fell over as relief spread through her body. Above, the Dreadnought sat motionless, and the mental signatures of Tamashii and Dvasia disappeared.

Frightened, Columbine saw that no one seemed concerned. _Sorry about that,_ another voice called, _that's what happens when the go all out like that._ Looking at Ushio and Ingwe, she saw that the former was still frightful as ever, while Ingwe looked concerned.

 _You know it's not over, right?_ She asked. The clairvoyant zoomed in on the top of Astikai's warship, and there she was. Standing there facing the fleeing Thunderhawk. Yet she wasn't charging.

 _She's never done it twice in a row,_ Columbine said, _we'll be fine._ As if to prove her right, Astikai choose that moment to turn around and step gracefully away. She disappeared below the edge of the ship.

However, the Thunderhawk was still on the other side of the warship from its own vessel. That previous voice spoke again, _I'm the leader here, call me Hjalma. If you're worried, I do have a plan for this, I promise._ The Thunderhawk started to make a wide turn. This would take it far in front of Astikai, and ultimately to its mothership.

 _Turning towards you now._ Though it was out of the clairvoyant's range, the other vessel was turning hard. Eventually, it would be in the perfect point to accelerate forwards across Astikai's T and pick up the Thunderhawk. But its shields were dropping fast, damaged severely by Astikai's barrage.

 _That won't work,_ Columbine said as Hjalma described the plan. _You can't cross her, there's a dorsal gun and you'll walk right into it. You need to go over. Not now. Wait until you're close, then raise upwards and pull right over them._

Hjalma had a hard decision to make. _Columbine, I respect you, but you understand Astikai-_

 _Won't do anything. I don't care what you think you know. I've been with her for over nine years. If she wanted to kill us, we'd already be dead. If this Thunderhawk makes it back, they'll stop firing. At this point, Astikai wants to know what's going on just as much as I do._ Columbine hastily explained.

A few seconds passed. _Fine,_ Hjalma conceded. The appropriate course corrections were made. Columbine released a pent-up breath. She wasn't scared. Simply aware of the variables in play. Without looking, she communicated privately to Ushio, _there better be a damn good explanation for all of this._

 _If there is one..._ Ushio said meekly, _I don't know what it is._ Columbine didn't reply. The girl's memories were sealed deep into her mind. If they could be retrieved, it was going to take a conscious dive in order to do it. _Whatever this is about has something to do with those memories,_ Columbine concluded. _These people must want them back. Her notes too, but there's no chance of retrieving those, at least at the moment._

She was impressed with the power of these girls. _Just a handful managed to hold back half of Astikai's force. That Dreadnought too._ She ran her eyes over them, seeing that most had their armor marked with the insignia of some Chaos god. _But they're obviously not Imperial. I've never heard of them. Just what did Ushio get herself into?_

Shields dropping low, Hjalma's ship's upwards thrusters fired at the last second. The edges of the ship's void fields scraped against one another as they passed by, while the hangar doors slid open for the Thunderhawk. Hjalma's vessel started accelerating towards maximum velocity.

Columbine held on tight as the Thunderhawk shot into the hangar, failing to stop in time and crashing to a halt against the wall. Another loud crash signaled the dreadnought slamming into the floor. But both had slowed enough to prevent total destruction.

The door slammed against the ground as it was kicked down. The others already making their way out, Columbine extended her hand for Ushio. She stood a bit higher than the door, the Thunderhawk having been twisted by the impact. The girl looked at it, confused. "Are you taking it or not?" Columbine asked, dissipating her helmet.

Ushio stammered, playing with her fingers uncomfortably, "But…but I got you into all-"

The blonde just smiled, as if the complaint was pointless. "That's exactly why I'm holding my hand out."

Ushio thought for a few seconds more. Then she took Columbine's hand and stepped down with her. She gasped as Columbine patted her on the head. "You've just made my life a whole lot more exciting. For that, I'll thank you any day."

The brunette blushed, before raising a hand to cover her face. She walked alongside Columbine as the two strode out into the hangar. Ingwe was waiting right beside the exit of the Thunderhawk, while the other girls were gathered in the middle. A figure one could assume to be Hjalma was speaking to them.

"-for a few days. We need to assess Ushio's condition and the state of her memories. If Columbine is capable of retrieving them, then we move forwards as planned. If something more is needed, then we act differently." Hjalma paused as she heard the others from behind.

With black hair tied in a bun, the girl wore a long great coat of blue that covered most of her. Black shoes and gloves were the only other things visible, aside from the skin on her neck. "Greetings," She shook Columbine and Ingwe's hands. Her eyes fell on Ushio as though she was an old friend, "It's been a long time," Hjalma remarked.

Ushio frowned in confusion. She looked briefly at Columbine, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. I…I don't remember who you are."

"That bad, huh?" Hjalma remarked. She waved her hand, and the others walked away. She looked to the crashed dreadnought. Tamashii had climbed out with Dvasia draped across her arms. "Do you remember either of them?"

Once again, there wasn't the slightest trace of them in her memories. "Something in my head made me feel I had to escape and come here, but I don't know of any you in particular." Ushio explained.

Hjalma sighed. "Well…" She tapped her foot for a few seconds, then looked at Columbine. "Can you look into her head?"

"I already did," Columbine said, narrowing her eyes. Hjalma knew she was a memory manipulator, but she'd never met any of these people either. "Whatever you're talking about is buried incredibly deep. In the subconscious, I'd say. That can't be accessed without diving in ourselves, not unless we risk damaging Ushio's mind."

"That's unacceptable." Tamashii stated sharply, as though Columbine was seriously considering it.

Looking out of the corner of her eyes, Columbine made clear, "And I never thought it was acceptable." Her feet shifted with unease as she looked at Hjalma. "I feel like I deserve an explanation here."

That girl nodded. "Come with me, please." She started to walk away, and Tamashii followed. Dvasia was still unconscious. Columbine hesitated, then followed with Ushio in tow. Ingwe was the last person to move. In silence, she looked all around the hangar.

"This is bad," She whispered to no one, before following after Columbine.

* * *

Some travel throughout the ship led them to their destination. The lack of any signs of battle said that Astikai was letting them go. What they eventually walked into resembled an open-air terrace. Hexagonal in shape, the platform was constructed with fine stone in the floor and steps, and white marble in the railing. The door into the room was made of a light wood, and opened into a long walkway that finally led to the terrace. Surrounding the stone was a lake. A massive body of water stretched for hundreds of feet in every direction from the terrace.

The walls and ceiling were colored like the night sky, with singular points of light scattered across the canvas. A bright full moon hung in this sky. It looked incredibly real. Columbine, Ushio, and Ingwe were all in awe as they strode along the walkway. Hjalma was in front, while Tamashii still carried Dvasia just behind her.

It looked as though Dvasia had woken up, but she hadn't been put down by the one who carried her. Columbine took that at face value. They came up the steps to the terrace, and Columbine observed the table in the middle. A total of three sofas were present as well, one against every other side.

There was already a girl standing there. Her hands were clasped in front of herself, while her eyes scanned over Columbine and her companions. She was dressed in a black and white suit, with a head of short platinum blonde hair, curling up near the neck.

Judging from the fact that she seemed a bit older than eighteen, Columbine assumed she wasn't a magical girl. She pulled out the chairs for everyone as they approached, Tamashii putting Dvasia down before taking a seat. Columbine and Ushio sat a few seconds before Ingwe. That girl had to take some moments to look around, as though everything was a threat.

Then she sat down. There was a kettle of tea in the middle of the table, and the girl in the suit poured everyone a cup. "Thank you," Hjalma nodded to her. The girl bowed lightly, then stepped back.

Columbine didn't question, but looked suspiciously at the girl. She knew the others noticed it, but they didn't say anything. Hjalma took a deep breath, preparing to begin. She exhaled, then started the tale. "This all begins ten years ago. On the planet of Athena."

Columbine looked in shock at Ushio. "Out of the seven people in this room, five were present on Athena ten years ago." Hjalma continued. Columbine's shock only grew. Ingwe didn't react at all. "I, Tamashii, and Dvasia were all together at the time, seeking to stop the machinations of one Sifras Astikai." Columbine nodded, understanding.

 _Ten years ago. I joined Astikai nine ago. Astikai was just putting things together then. That'd make sense._ Columbine stayed silent, thinking to herself as Hjalma took no break in the story.

"She was attempting to perform an experiment. Originally devised by Ushio Uzuki. We do not know what this experiment was. We arrived too late to stop the effort from failing and a rampant surge of energy from sucking the planet away. We succeeded in locating Ushio. Her memories were sealed by that point, by her own hand. She had no knowledge of what happened on Athena."

Hjalma took a deep breath, "For several months, we tried to break Ushio's seal, but were unable. We needed an incredibly powerful memory manipulator, and someone who could cooperate. So when we heard rumors that such a person had joined Astikai, we abandoned Ushio and had a third party tip off Astikai of her location."

Columbine slammed her hands on the table. "You mean you played me this entire time!?" She cried, "This was all a set-up to get me here and willing to look into Ushio's memories?"

"There was that, yes." Hjalma nodded. "We knew Astikai would be careful with her, and because you were instantly appointed as executive officer, we figured there'd be some contact between you two. We don't really know what happened, but the idea seems to have worked. Furthermore, we figured that Astikai would eventually come back to the Nibelung Sector, and that Ushio would subconsciously desire a return as well." Columbine remembered how Ushio's foresight had brought them to Nibelung. "We've been waiting for the right moment to strike and retrieve Ushio. We're glad that you willingly came, Columbine."

"So…you hoped Astikai would try to use me to unlock Ushio's memories?" Columbine asked. Hjalma confirmed that. "And through that, I would somehow learn the truth and desire to assist Ushio in escape?"

"Yes," Hjalma replied, "However, it seems Astikai outplayed us. She must have guessed that Ushio appearing from nowhere was a trap. I suppose she planned to simply wait until we made a move, and didn't expect you to act as well."

Columbine shook her head. "No, she expected me to move. Like I told you, she could have killed us all if she wanted to. I think that she wants us to go through the trouble of unlocking Ushio's memories, and then come in for the reward. Or maybe she has some other plan, I don't know. But she had to have known what was going to happen and what was going on, yet she still let us go." Then an idea sprung up, "Wait, I'd imagine Astikai is planning on using Ushio's notes still on the ship."

"You didn't retrieve those?" Hjalma asked.

Columbine looked down. "Sorry, but Ciuatl-damn…" The blonde suddenly stood up as the realization came to her. "We forgot about Ciuatl."

"Who's she?!" Hjalma said in a panicked voice.

"A Tzeentchian." Columbine explained, her mind racing to find the answer. "She seems to be opposed to Columbine, but she wanted the notes too. She has to know something about Athena and this experiment. I wouldn't be surprised if she's somehow pulling Astikai's strings."

Hjalma shook her head. "We don't know anything about her. She has to be planning something though, if she held onto Ushio's notes. That's the other side of this plan. We put Ushio back there so she could try and recreate the experiment from scratch. Even minus her memories, it could still be performed with those notes."

Ushio now spoke up. "Those notes weren't complete though. I still need more time to finish everything. That's all I know about them. The rest I've sealed away. Now…I guess it makes sense why I put that automatic program in, to block off everything related to this." Desperately, she asked Hjalma, "Are you sure you've no idea what that experiment was?"

"Whatever it was, its failure removed a planet from existence." Hjalma solemnly said. Ushio looked sad. She stood up, almost falling over. A hand on her shoulder stopped the girl's trembling legs from bringing her down.

"Are you alright?" Columbine asked. Hjalma and the others looked surprised at this. Ushio shuddered, then fell in towards Columbine.

"I'm fine," she mumbled.

Columbine ran her eyes over Hjalma and the two others. "What do you three really want?" she asked.

Hjalma went into silence, and Tamashii spoke up. "We wish to stop Astikai from accomplishing this experiment."

"Then why did you expect Ushio to reproduce it?" Columbine questioned. Tamashii cracked a grin, accepting defeat.

"Columbine, we want to stop Astikai, and attempt to carry this experiment out ourselves. But instead of doing it for personal power, we seek to do it for the sake of good." She explained.

"You're traitors, heretics," Columbine countered, "What can you do that is good?" Then she realized what she'd said. _Certainly, I worship a different god, but she is not too separated from the Imperium's Goddess. I could too 'good', if I so chose._

"Correct," Hjalma remarked, "But this is less what the Imperium considers good, and more what is better for us all." She then stood. "You must be tired, would you like to get some rest?"

Columbine thought for a few seconds. The girl almost collapsing in her arms made her think 'yes'. She agreed. "Requita," Hjalma gestured to the girl in the suit, "Please show them to their rooms."

"Of course ma'am." The girl nodded, then walked smoothly to the top of the steps, "Misses, if you'd follow me please."

"What relation does she have to Athena?" Columbine asked. Hjalma smiled at the question.

"She was a little girl, about nine years old. Stumbled onto our shuttle as we were escaping, so I took her in." Hjalma explained. Then she waved her hand. "Go along now, get some rest. We can take more later. Warp entry is in a few hours."

Columbine nodded, then walked away. Once again, Ingwe hesitated. She ran her eyes over the others, giving them a threatening glare. Then she was walking away. Ushio was able to move on her own as Requita led them through the halls. After a few elevator rides, they found themselves led into exquisite staterooms. "There are only two available, as we did not expect three. I apologize." Requita bowed.

"I can take Ushio in one," Columbine said, "Thank you." Requita handed them keys, before walking away. Columbine sent Ushio over to their own while standing in the doorway of Ingwe's room. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Ingwe shook her head. "Something's off here, I can feel it. They're not telling us everything."

"Of course not," Columbine agreed, "But as long as Astikai is no longer breathing down my throat, I think I can rest easier. Don't get too paranoid, we don't want to push away our hosts. They need me, and they need Ushio. And they won't do anything to antagonize me. It's certain that we're being played, but they won't harm us until they're done playing us."

She turned for her own room. "And by then, we'll have already outplayed them." Her words had no plan backing them up, but just saying them gave her confidence.

* * *

With a solemn face, Meryet walked through the door with Alicia's hand in her own. It shut behind them, goodbyes already having been said. Meryet's 'thank you' was half-hearted, though. Mustering up a proper response to such a disappointment was difficult.

 _Disappointment,_ she thought, _strange. Do I really just want Alicia to have something wrong? What's wrong with me…_ She did brighten up a little as she saw Lucine leaning against the side of a car. The girl lowered her sunglasses, smirking as she saw the two react.

"Just running away from me, huh?" she asked, strolling around to the driver's side. Meryet sighed, then conceded and got into the passenger seat, while Alicia slipped into the back. With the girl's size and personality, it was hard to remember that she was thirty-seven years old.

"Not at all," Meryet said quietly as Lucine pulled away. She shifted to look out the window, hoping to avoid the gaze of her companion. The bright sun above bathed everything in warm light. But the heat was uncomfortable. Not unbearable, at least.

Lucine waited a bit before saying anything more. A calculated move to throw off Meryet, and it worked. The girl almost jumped when Lucine said, "So what _were_ you doing there?"

Meryet sighed, "Do you really need to know?"

"Are we not friends?" Lucine replied. Meryet turned to sit up straight, and crossed her arms.

Her eyes closed as she took in a few deep breaths. "We're certainly friends, but there are some secrets-"

"Oh come on, Meryet. You were getting Alicia checked in, were you not?" Meryet barely let her demeanor slip enough for it to be confirmed. "You told me last night, if you're wondering about this sudden spurt of intelligence." Lucine said mockingly.

That didn't get a reply. Meryet just kept staring forwards, hoping that this would end quickly. Then she realized the road wasn't one she knew. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"Nowhere really. Just driving around until you start loosening up." Lucine explained. "You're free to get out, I suppose. I can't stop you, and you're entirely capable." She said with a shrug.

Meryet weighed her options. In the end, she stayed. Her discomfort was shown as obvious as possible, as she crossed her arms and looked annoyed, but Lucine had long since learned to handle the girl. "Alicia," She called back, "What was the result of that examination?"

Alicia was quiet for a few moments. Then she said, "Nothing, as always. Not the slightest trace." Lucine nodded. She tapped her finger on the wheel, before speaking to Meryet.

"You understand that this behavior is rather strange. It's not just concerning me, it's the rest of the squad." She explained calmly, "I'm not saying you should stop worrying, or that your actions are wrong, I'm saying that you need to stop having these examinations. Someone else might decide something's wrong based only on your worries."

 _Just like that girl, Maria._ Meryet thought of Lucine's words. "Do you want something to be wrong?" Lucine asked.

 _Exactly like her._ Meryet realized. _I've always heard this from Lucine, but if she's saying that…then I guess there's some truth in those words._ She didn't show her acceptance visually. "Fine," She said, "I'll stop this, is that what you want?"

Lucine groaned. "Always a sensitive one," she remarked. Suddenly the car spun around in the middle of the highway.

"Ah! What was that for?!" Meryet demanded with a glare.

"I'm not talking to you if you're going to go into that mode. I don't want to listen to you feel all bad, only for me to admit that you're right." Lucine snapped, "This has been going on for years now." She shook her head, "I don't know how you can keep this up."

"I'm just worried," Meryet said. The sudden outburst brought tears to her eyes. "I just want to make sure that Alicia's happy, that she's not got something inside her that could hurt us all."

"That's just wrong, isn't it?" Lucine didn't speak those words. Meryet's eyes shot open as she looked behind herself.

Alicia was there, looking at Meryet with sadness in her eyes. "If you really care about everyone, you wouldn't be worrying them like this. You wouldn't make such a big deal of it. You…" She looked down, eyes going wide, "You wouldn't make me feel like a monster."

Lucine didn't say a word. The expression she showed Meryet said "This is your problem." Meryet took a deep breath, and shifted to more easily look at Alicia.

"Alicia," She said quietly, "I…I don't think you're really bad. I just want to be sure. I see you and…and something _inside my head_ tells me to be worried. I don't know what it is, or why it tells me that, but it's there, alright? And…and I'm more inclined to listen to it than to not."

Alicia didn't seem to be changed by these words. She kept staring out the window, not paying any attention to what was said. "Alicia!" Meryet begged, "Listen to me, please!" The dark-haired girl just pushed herself against the window even more.

Meryet sighed, turning back to face forwards. Her hand came up to her face as she tried to think. _It's fine,_ Lucine said, _don't worry. She'll be fine. Just prove to her that you do care about her. This is really what I was worried about. You forget that Alicia's not some monster._

Taking deep breathes, Meryet didn't feel like replying. The remainder of the journey back to their destination was spent in silence. Even the awkwardness that descended in a short time wasn't challenged by anyone.

The bed was incredibly soft. Actually a bit better than the one she usually slept on, but that was to be expected. Meryet stared up at the ceiling, eyes running over the white wood over and over again. She knew that just across the wall was Alicia.

Desperately, she wanted to make that girl know how she really felt, but at the same time, she knew that giving her space was important. _I'll give her half an hour more,_ Meryet decided, _then I'll try. Trying to wait for her to come to me is pointless, I doubt she will._

A few minutes later, Meryet jumped as the door opened. Not only was she deep in thought, but also because it wasn't Lucine coming in. Alicia stared at with a blank gaze. But it changed to one of surprise as she saw Meryet flinch. "Surprised?" She asked.

Meryet tried to cover up the feeling. "Ah, well…" She sat up and pushed herself backwards. "You see-"

"You didn't expect me to come in on my own, did you?" Alicia asked. Then she raised her tone, demanding, "Did you?!"

Meryet averted her eyes. Now she faced towards the window. "Meryet, this is what I mean. You treat me like I can't even act on my own. It's true, I appreciate the fact that you care about me. I appreciate all that you give me, and in many ways I need all of this."

She took a few seconds to collect herself. Then she said, "But in the end, I'm still my own person. Just try to remember that, alright?"

Meryet instantly spoke up before she could leave. "Alicia!" She waited for the right words, so as to not sound desperate and foolish. "I…I know you're your own person. But at the same time, there's…like I said, there's something that makes me feel like I need to be there for you."

"Maybe it's wrong that I feel that, maybe it's wrong that I act on it to such an extreme, but I won't ignore it." Meryet explained, speaking from the bottom of her heart, "Because if I ignore it, something bad might happen, and how can I justify that to myself." She looked away once more, "If you want to hate me for it, then do it, but I won't stop, because I really do care about you."

Alicia thought on those words for a few moments. All around herself she glanced. Eventually, "Well…" She said quietly, "I…" Then she walked forwards. Meryet was surprised to find Alicia embrace her. "Thank you," The younger girl said as she relaxed.

Meryet herself calmed down while relief flowed through her body. "It's not a problem at all…" She said quietly as she leaned back.

* * *

Echoing off the sides of the great hall, voices filled the air. The room was a bustle of conversation, whether it be simple small talk or serious official matters. There wasn't any clear division either, and all the sounds just mixed together till it was near indecipherable.

If anyone had focused, they might have easily picked out the individual words, but the alcohol was ensuring that few did. Meryet had to name herself as one of those few. Her lesson about alcohol had been learned, and she wasn't going to disregard it. It was why she was leaning back against the wall, well away from any of the nexuses of conversation, merely observing the rabble.

Wherever Lucine went, her eyes followed. The last time the girl had come to some social event such as this…Meryet shook her head as she thought of it. _Too humiliating to even consider,_ she shuddered at the thought. _I'll drag her out of here if needed._

She did understand that the role had effectively been forced upon her by the rest of her squad. None of them desired a repeat of the previous incident. Otherwise, Meryet would have preferred to be back with Alicia. _Are you alright?_ She called the girl for the third time in the past half an hour.

 _I'm fine,_ Alicia insisted. _Give me a break, alright? I'll tell if you something goes wrong, and I don't see how anything can._ Meryet knew she was right.

 _Sorry._ She sent back.

 _Try to take your mind off of me._ Alicia suggested, _try talking to someone._

 _I don't want to-oh by the Goddess._ She opened up a separate line to Lucine, her consciousness automatically splitting to speak to both at the same time. A short explanation to Alicia ended that conversation, while she said to Lucine on their private line, _think about what you're doing. I suggest that you use patience and thought before acting._

Meryet could obviously tell that Lucine was busy charming some other magical girl. She couldn't tell who the girl was, but hopefully it wasn't someone important. _It's fine,_ Lucine replied, _nothing to worry about. I think you're the one who ought to use patience._

Grimacing, Meryet shot back, _if something goes wrong, I'm getting part of the blame too, alright? Don't be stupid, alright?_

 _Fine, fine,_ Lucine chuckled, _I'll do my best._ Meryet rolled her eyes, making show the emotion was conveyed to her comrade. A part of her wanted to be back on the front lines, but knew that part was just trying to hide from the responsibility of keeping Lucine on a leash.

She stepped away from the wall with a sigh. Hands clasped behind her back, she began to adopt a long path around the outskirts of the partygoers. Having been thrown by some high-ranking inquisitor or someone, there were plenty of people there just to socialize.

And by people, the meaning was of course magical girls. Not a single human was in sight. Meryet just hoped that none of them would take a liking to her, and started her circling while lost in her thoughts. She'd look at Lucine every now and then, who'd managed to surround herself with a trio of them now.

This really wasn't fun compared to a battle. Battle was strangely exhilarating, strangely enjoyable, something that Meryet couldn't deny liking to some extent. _But in the end,_ she thought privately, _my life is always on the line. Worse fates could await me._ Yet not a bit of her regretted making the contract and joining the knights.

When it came down to it…Meryet really had to think before concluding, _I'd rather be fighting a war right now._ She came to a stop before a tall window. The moon sat in the sky, a tiny crescent. Her hand ran through her hair as she thought. _Well, there are plenty of battles to be fought. Besides, Alicia's safer here than she would be out there._

Even then, it begged the question of what was more important. _Why do I care so much?_ Meryet wondered.

An unfamiliar voice interrupted her. A "Good evening," spoken in a polite tone drifted to Meryet's ears, but it took the girl stepping beside her before she really acknowledged it.

After a flinch of surprise, Meryet said awkwardly, "Good evening," She ran her eyes over the blonde girl in an elaborate red gown.

"Heredia Oschalus." She introduced herself, reaching over to shake Meryet's hand. The dark-haired girl shook it gently, doing her best to put on a grin.

"Meryet Aleanudh," she replied quietly.

Heredia's beauty was only enhanced by the excellent application of makeup on her face, and she seemed to always be grinning about something. "You don't seem very talkative," she commented.

"Ah, I'm just bored. Not really here to talk, I suppose." Meryet admitted. She looked over her shoulder. Her expression turned to a frown as she saw Lucine headed off. "If you'd excuse me a moment, I have to prevent a major incident."

Heredia almost laughed, as if she understood the feeling. Meryet strode off quickly towards Lucine, already leaving with a few others in tow. _Stop it, now._ Meryet ordered, _we're not having this again._

 _It's fine!_ Lucine cried, _there's no problem whatsoever!_ Resisting the urge to just shot the girl from across the room, Meryet managed to intercede in time. She stepped in front of them with a smile that could paralyze a daemon.

"Good evening," She said as politely as possible, before focusing on her comrade. "Lucine, what are you doing?"

With a hidden roll of her eyes, Lucine replied, "Enjoying myself, Meryet. _Relaxing,_ you ought to try sometime." Meryet started tapping her foot impatiently.

"Remember the last time?" Meryet said with a smirk. "I still think Captain Yourand still might kill you if she sees you again." Lucine faked a laugh, trying to walk around Meryet. The dark-haired girl held out an arm. "You laugh, but it wasn't funny being held at gunpoint while words like 'traitor' and 'psychopath' were thrown around."

The other girls had a range of reactions. Of the four, two looked concerned, and the other two just looked all the more interested in Lucine. _And even the concerned two will probably continue this._ She ran her eyes over them, assessing them all to be at least twenty years younger than Lucine. Not that that actually mattered to Meryet.

"Well, well, that was a mistake. This isn't." Lucine promised.

"Then who are these four lovely ladies?" Meryet asked.

Lucine named them all, even giving their postings. Meryet couldn't argue with that logic, and when it was confirmed no prior lasting relationships existed, there was no longer any way for her to deny Lucine. "If I wake up tomorrow and you're in trouble, I'm not helping," She said to the girl as she left.

And with that, Meryet found herself without any reason to stay. Then clacking footsteps reminded her of the new acquaintance. "My my," Heredia chuckled gently, a hand in front of her lips. "You're an interesting one. That your friend or something?"

Meryet nodded, "Yes, Lucine." She started walking away from the doors towards one of the corners. Heredia followed along. "She caused a bit of trouble about ten years back." Meryet grinned humorously at the thought, lightened up for some reason, "Slept with the lover of one Captain Marya Yourand, Wings of Redemption 3rd Company. Said girl was also one of the Sergeants in the company. They were found out in the middle of the act, and quickly escalating emotions led to some strikes being thrown."

"I woke up in the morning surrounded by Yourand's girls, insistent on detaining me and the rest of the squad. Apparently Lucine had 'started' it, which I somehow doubt, but the whole thing was such a mess that in the hours it took to clear it up, nobody really cared out." Meryet shrugged, "It just wasn't pleasant, and to this day that entire company doesn't particularly enjoy us. Said incident apparently revealed some bad secrets within that company," She waved her hand, "I don't really know, nor do I exactly care. The only problem is that since we're good friends, the rest of my squad put me in charge of making sure it doesn't happen again. So of course I'm concerned she's walking off with some girls twenty years younger than she is."

"So you're babysitting her?" Heredia asked.

Meryet agreed with the summarization, "More or less." Then she looked at Heredia. The girl was staring off at the window, now on the other side of the room. Her eyes fell upon the moon. Meryet stayed silent, and choose to look off in her own direction.

A sudden question interrupted her. "What are you doing here, then?" Heredia asked. The question was a difficult one to answer.

"Well-I didn't want to leave when we just started a conversation." Meryet explained. "But, I suppose if this is bothering you…" She recalled the way in which the girl stared off into the window.

"Not at all," Heredia raised her eyebrows. "But if you this is awkward for you, I'm not keeping you." She turned and strolled away.

Meryet blinked, and her eyes flashed for a moment. _Who are you really?_ She asked. _No one listed as Heredia Oschalus in the records. Your hair seems to be its original color, as do your eyes. Dress is obviously created magically, but you're at least hiding your name._

Heredia came to a stop. She looked over her shoulder with an accusatory glare. _Snooping around like that isn't a good idea._ She remarked, then said, _of course, I likes girls who are actually intelligent._ Smoothly turning on her heel, she walked back to Meryet.

Meryet almost leapt away as the girl's hands came to hold one of her own gently. "Shall we speak elsewhere?" Heredia asked quietly.

Blushing fiercely, Meryet put on her most formal tone and said, "I apologize, but I must refuse the offer at this moment. Perhaps another time." She waited for Heredia to pull away, and when the girl didn't, Meryet yanked her hand back and quickly strode away.

"Goodnight," A singsong voice called after her. Meryet could only hurriedly call back the same thing before storming out of the room and out into the cold of night.

She breathed hard as she almost collapsed outside the door. It was a while back to where they were staying, especially without Lucine's car. _Damn her,_ Meryet quietly remarked. Remembering the direction back was easy, but she knew it would just take time.

"Without transport, huh?" Heredia's sweet voice drifted to Meryet's ears. The dark-haired girl spun around, and then scanned all around her seeing nothing. In the next instant, Meryet spotted her sitting atop the roof of the large mansion. "I can give you one, if you want."

"For a price, I might imagine?" Meryet snapped.

Heredia smirked, "Only if you want to…and if you ask a psychologist, I imagine they'd say you're projecting your own desire."

"Is that who I'm talking to at the moment?" Meryet wondered.

The blonde shook her head, falling to her feet. "No, I'm not involved in a business as boring as that." She brought a finger to her lips, "In fact, you might want to be listening to any orders I give, unless I'm mistaken."

Meryet froze. _Could be a sergeant, but could be a captain._ "Well, I'm in no position whatsoever to talk back."

"Not even a sergeant?" Heredia asked. "You're sixties, seventies right?"

"How do you know?" Meryet frowned.

"One of those girls you're friend walked off with. She's in my company." Heredia explained. Then she threw up her hands in response to Meryet's shock. "Don't worry, no incident to worry about here, but it was just a matter of simple math."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Meryet said shakily, "I am indeed not a sergeant."

Heredia just smiled with that same brightness. "Then make that request to help you an order to let me." Meryet suppressed the sigh. It was obviously a game.

"Fine," she caved. It was certainly a game, but she didn't want to spend the next hour traversing a few hundred miles.

"Good, good," Heredia grabbed her hands and pulled her along.

* * *

The following car ride would be made in near total silence. The lack of practically anyone in these parts of the planet but magical girls meant speed limits were non-existent, so it didn't take long. Meryet enjoyed that fact, as she had no intention of making small talk.

Heredia, or whoever she was, seemingly didn't either. But the fact that she constantly dropped the speed unnoticeably, till Meryet glanced at the meter at least, said that she was certainly trying to bait Meryet into making the first move.

It was a battle of the wills the entire ride. Meryet was ready to leap out as soon as Heredia pulled up. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to talk some more?" Heredia asked with a perfectly straight face as Meryet stepped from the car.

"No, but thank you very much for your assistance." Meryet saluted, then quickly spun on her heel and walked away. She let out a long breath as she made her way inside, almost ready to pass out.

 _I swear everyone in this Adeptus is insane,_ was all she could think.

* * *

What Meryet did find when she stepped through the door of the hotel room was silence. She couldn't help but bask in it for a few seconds, not daring to take even a step. When it ended, it was almost jarring hearing herself step across the floor.

It only took a thought for her boots to dissipate, and her bare feet now felt the cool wood. She ran a hand through her hair as she walked towards Alicia's room. Meryet paused to listen for the girl, also reaching out with her mind. After finding not a trace, she cracked open the door a little.

The girl lay peacefully in her bed. Her eyes were closed, and she slept soundly. Meryet breathed a sigh of relief. _At least she's not going anywhere,_ she thought happily. It was moments like these that let her enjoy her time away from the battlefield.

 _Compared to the rest of my life, there'll be so few moments of true peace like this._ Meryet felt a strange sensation spread through her body. Her demeanor shattered, as she took on a worried look while trying to identify it.

A sharp scream distracted her. Still in the doorway, Meryet leapt into the room as she looked around frantically. There was no one else that could be seen, and nothing was identified by her eyes. _Alicia_! She cried telepathically, repeating the cry physically as well.

The girl was sitting up now, grasping the sides of her head with a distressed expression. Alicia breathed hard, not even recognizing the presence of Meryet till the girl embraced her. "Alicia!" she cried again, "Are you alright?"

Stunned by the sudden movement, Alicia collapsed into Meryet's arms. "Yeah…" She whispered, "Just a nightmare." Her voice was unsteady.

A few seconds passed as Meryet reassured her. Then Alicia cut in, "I have this feeling. This terrible feeling. Something bad is coming." She turned her head to look out the window. Meryet's hope plummeted down as Alicia spoke in a quiet, frightful voice, "And it's already on its way here."

* * *

Dreadnoughts are advanced weapons mainly used by the Mage Knights. Some Inquisitors are known to possess one, but the majority are in the possession of the knights. These bipedal weapon systems are mainly powered by their own engines, but are capable of linking to a magical girl's soul gem for advanced power. Some consider this a breaking of Her Holy Majesty's declarations, but given that these machines hail from before the Heresy, it is safe to say that She allows them. Furthermore, they are merely supported by a soul gem, and can otherwise operate on their own.

The average Knights Chapter has around ten Dreadnoughts, but the larger and older a chapter gets, the more they will have. The Lifewardens are believed to have around fifty, but that number is speculated by some to be false. Large numbers are spread out throughout the various groups of traitors in the galaxy, and some are even known to have been fused with daemons.

 _-Grimoire Magica_

* * *

 **If there's any regret I have about this whole story so far, it's that there wasn't the slightest hint Columbine was a memory manipulator before. It was supposed to be mentioned in a conversation about Ushio's experiment that ended up being shortened, and I just never found the right place till I realized things had gotten here.**


	11. Melting Ice

**Apologies for the lateness. I got far more caught up in Dark Souls 3 than I thought I would.**

* * *

My sleep was eventless, not even a single dream, but I awoke to a world of pain. A concerned sigh escaped my lips as my hands felt over my form, feeling the bruises that still covered me. Despite my initial fear, I quickly remembered the cause of the wounds, and calmed.

Soul gems could work miracles, but with our limited ability and magic, they couldn't cover up everything in a few hours. And of course I had been awoken by Germana's shouts. I vaguely understood what to do, and quickly got down from the bed.

The others were already rushing out, and I was only a couple steps behind Aurelia. She was of course less hindered by the wounds, but I figured she had some experience with taking a beating. Fear started to grow in my heart as we assembled in our lines. I knew Germana wouldn't miss the bruises on our faces. She was standing only a few feet away, but seemed to not notice.

Still, I stood at attention, ready to accept the punishment if it would come. The moment we finished, Germana started her usual scan. I knew that she was just playing with Aurelia and I to see what we would do. My muscles tensed up as her gaze fell on me.

Nothing happened. Until a second later when she finished looking at everyone. "Vergiana, Aurelia," She began. I almost cried out in fear, but what came was less humiliating than I thought. Then she raised her arm and pointed to the side, off at a small building. "That is what serves as my office, come see me at breakfast."

From there, it was the usual morning exercises. The bruises screamed in pain, but I was in position to complain. I could only wait until the time of judgment came.

* * *

"What do you think she'll do?" I wondered shakily as Aurelia and I made our way to our destination. My stomach growled, but I didn't dare eat something at the same time.

"Why are you so scared?" Aurelia replied. "She'll scold us and send us on our way. There's no point in doing anything more. Do you seriously think she'll kick us out or something?" We arrived at the door, and I raised my fingers to knock.

 _Come in,_ the voice in my head told me. I took a deep breath, before Aurelia opened the door and pushed me inside. It was indeed a small room. A large wooden desk sat in the center, with some cabinets behind it. Germana sat in the tall wooden chair behind that desk, arms crossed.

Aurelia and I moved directly in front of the desk and stood ramrod straight. Germana's piercing eyes flecked from me to Aurelia, back and forth. I can't say how long this went on, but by the end I was about ready to break down. "Would either of you wish to explain what occurred?"

I had already made up my mind. My voice barked out. "I started the fight, sir! I wished to speak with Aurelia, and attempt to improve our relations. I lost my temper and threw the first blow." Germana nodded.

Then she looked at Aurelia. "And you decided to keep going?"

"Vergiana is lying, sir!" Aurelia said, "I started the fight. Vergiana is merely attempting to protect me. She wished to speak with me, and I was the one who attacked her. She was only defending herself."

The sergeant cracked a humorous grin at this, though I could see the disappointment beneath. "And you two believe that it's alright to lie to your superior like this?" She asked. Both of us were silent.

"I am not lying," I insisted. "Aurelia is. I started the fight. I should be held responsible." Aurelia let out a short sigh.

She stated, "Vergiana may have thrown the first blow, but I was goading her on, and I continued after she struck me. This is not her fault, it is mine."

I was about to speak, then Germana held up a hand. Calmly, she said, "Now why are you two protecting one another if you got into a fight last night?"

I hesitated to reply, but Aurelia seemed to have a better grasp on her emotions. "That fight brought us closer. It made us realize that there is truly nothing splitting us apart but our own stubbornness." She took a deep breath, "While I am hesitant to do so, Vergiana was correct in believing relations should be improved."

Germana spoke, "So, do you understand what you have done, both of you?" We nodded. "Good. So do you think you can understand me when I say that I cannot punish you for this?"

Our jaws both dropped in shock. "W-why?" I stammered with disbelief. "We-we-"

"Got into a fight, beat each other to near death, and then became better friends because of it, that's right." Germana finished for me. "I can't punish people who just did what I wanted them to. Perhaps I was hoping it would be more peaceful, but the job has been done."

She waved her hand towards the door. "I really don't care what people do to one another here as long as no one takes an issue with it. We're magical girls, you can do that a million times over and as long as your gem has sufficient magic, you'll live." Germana shrugged. "Now go on, get something to eat. You both deserve it."

Unable to properly formulate words, I just followed Aurelia as she walked out. The chestnut-haired girl seemed to return to her usual distant demeanor as we stepped out of the door. "What was that for?" She asked, not turning her head. I stepped up alongside her.

"I just wanted to try and…protect you…" I shrugged, "I didn't want you to take the blame when I threw the first punch. Why'd you do the same for me?"

"Because it was my fault." Aurelia said, "Most bad things that occur around me are my fault in some way or another. This isn't different." It hurt a little to hear that she didn't do because she cared about me, but then again, I didn't do it because I cared about her either. More like a desire for the truth to be known.

* * *

There was still plenty of time left to sit down and eat. Aurelia and I sat at the same table not because of any agreement or desire, but because the other one wasn't walking away. It would have taken only one move to send us scurrying off in opposite directions.

But we sat down together, and what I realized would be an awkward situation began. I wasn't sure how to start anything, and I didn't think Aurelia would either. A glance around the room caused me to find Mariana's cold eyes, which I didn't dare meet.

I was surprised to hear Aurelia speak. "Vergiana, why are you so…" She searched for the right word, "immature, I suppose." Incredibly blunt of her to say that, and I could hear the undertones of insult. Last night, and the pain I still felt, told me to not retaliate.

"Immature?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows.

Aurelia sighed, knowing the word had been the wrong one. "Just…the way you react is like someone who hasn't seen anything of the world." Her tone wasn't different from that of previous days, but something about her was different. Aurelia's expression wasn't as cold and unforgiving, but not yet warm.

It felt strange, the idea of admitting to her that I really hadn't seen anything. But because of precisely that, I was no liar. Embarrassed, I said meekly, "Well, I spent most of my life in one of two places. I didn't see anyone but my family." A part of me wanted to go further.

"I apologize," Aurelia sounded ashamed. "It's my fault." I swore I caught a glimmer of something in her eye as she promptly stood up.

"Aurelia," I said quickly, not understanding. "What's the problem?" The girl shut her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"It's nothing, Vergiana. I apologize for saying what I did." I had no idea what was going with her anymore. That desire to know is what made my tone harsh.

"Aurelia, why must I tell you things, but you can't tell me anything? I know you regret things, but what do you regret?" I stood up as well, pleading her desperately. Aurelia stared at me, and our eyes locked for several long seconds.

She sighed a long sigh. "I don't want to talk about it," Aurelia mumbled. She sat back down. I followed her.

"Fine, but don't expect anything more from me. I thought you agreed in trying to 'improve relations' between us?" I asked.

She shook her head. "All last night meant…" I wondered if that pause was because she was just looking for the words, or if she really didn't want to say what she said. "Is that I'll try. It doesn't mean that I don't like you any less." Aurelia explained calmly.

The table fell into silence as I considered what she said, and Aurelia ignored my eyes. I wasn't sure what was going on. Maybe if I'd talked to another person in my life, I'd have known that she was denying something to herself. Of course, naïve as I was, I figured it was just Aurelia's personality. Well, it was _just_ her personality, but not quite the personality I thought.

"Alright," I said softly, staring in a daze at the table. "But you still need to try. Don't just think you can run away from this." I had no idea what I was saying.

I heard the sound of Aurelia standing up, and I immediately looked to her. Solemnity on her face, the girl walked away. I didn't say a word not because I was afraid to, or because I had nothing to say. On her face, I felt like I saw deeper into her than ever before.

So all I could do was sit there and contemplate what I just saw. I was I over my head. Not really in relation to the actual training, or the job of being a knight. I felt I could handle that, at least at the moment. But I didn't know how to talk to Aurelia. If she avoided me, I couldn't do anything but confront her. Despite what I had achieved the night before, the fact that she could have killed me still weighed heavily on my mind.

Luckily or unluckily, I was ripped from those thoughts as a cold voice beside me asked a favor. "Could you come outside with me?" It was Mariana. Arms at her sides yet hands balled into fists, face not betraying an emotion, the girl made it clear it was a command.

Not speaking in reply, I got to my feet. There were still a few minutes left. A glance around the room revealed that Priscilla wasn't present. Too wrapped up in my dealings with Aurelia to notice them move. Something told me that this was a bad idea, but I wasn't going to just walk away from Mariana.

She led me out. The morning was chilly, but I was somewhat used to it, having spent plenty of time in the mountains. Mariana was a few steps ahead, and turned a corner. We were not far from everyone else, still inside of course.

As I turned the corner, I discovered that distance did not stop Mariana from punching me in the gut, twisting my arm behind my back and slamming me against the wall. Although we were out of sight, it wouldn't be hard for this to be discovered.

Straining my eyes, I saw Priscilla out of the corner of them, with a worried expression on her face. "I don't care who started what," Mariana growled in my ear, "I do not want a person of such violence around Priscilla. Pull something like this again, and I'll make sure you remember not to."

"Mariana…" Priscilla complained, uneasily tapping her fingers together. "This isn't necessary, not to this extent."

Mariana turned her head to stare at her companion. A second passed before anything was said. "Priscilla, this girl's an idiot who has no idea how to function in reality, and most likely violent. I do not want such a person near you." She gasped, striking me in the head and sending me to the ground.

From what I saw, she spun to face the sound of footsteps. "You seem more violent than she is," Aurelia commented. The girl was facing Mariana down, not moving a muscle.

I couldn't see her face, but I felt like I could feel a smirk in her voice. "True, but I'm at least violent for the sake of something important, not just a petty squabble between a couple of stupid teenagers." She spoke as though she weren't one.

It was expectation that Mariana would make the first swing, but neither did. Instead, Aurelia jabbed, "The person you want to 'protect' doesn't seem pleased with this course of action."

"I am ensuring that no harm comes to her in the future. Given Vergiana's lack of will, I'm certain that this is more than enough to resolve the problem." Without anything more, Mariana promptly turned on her heel and strode away. She gently took Priscilla's hand, and the two walked away together. I saw Priscilla sadly glance at me, but then turned away.

Pushing myself upwards, I looked at Aurelia. "Should I be thanking you?" I asked, "Or was that for some other purpose?"

Aurelia shook her head. "I wished to ensure that my partner is not injured." Her back was all I saw as she stated clearly, "Nothing more." With that, I watched her go off. A heavy sigh came from me as I was left alone. Not long now until the break was over. The sun was making its presence known, but in the already cold air there was little it could do to break the chill.

* * *

I had noticed that my soul gem was growing steadily darker, and only increased with the wounds suffered the night before. Fear was in the back of my head, but it wasn't so small because of any strength of my own. Rather, it was the belief that Germana would do something rather than let us die.

In line once again, I could only hope that she'd at least give some reassuring mention. But given the rigorousness of the training so far, I honestly had some doubt that Germana would do anything but wait for the absolute last second before making some kind of intervention.

There wasn't anything else in my head as she started talking to us. It was a rarity that I could actually focus without some other fear or concern occupying my mind, but I could trust this girl with my life. I doubted she'd let my lose it.

"Good morning, everyone." Germana started, "I trust you are all feeling ready for the day. You might find it good that things are going to change, or maybe you won't like it. Either way, things will be changing." She started her usual pacing back and forth in front of us. "But first, there is another matter."

The sergeant reached up to her chest. There was a brief flash of light, and her soul gem was in her hand. "You may observe that my gem is almost perfectly clear. If you'd take a look at your own gems…" She trailed off into a pause. The implication for us quickly understood, we all produced our own gems.

"They are not as bright." I was not the only one with a darkened sphere. "Your soul gem's brightness represents the amount of magic left. By merely existing, you require energy, as some does bleed off into the air around you. It is possible to restore the energy in these gems, by removing the darkness from them with these." Germana reached into her pocket. A handful of small dark cubes was in her palm and displayed to all of us. "Here." She deftly tossed one to each of us.

"It takes several to fully heal a gem, but you all won't be needing that." Germana waited as we all applied the cubes to the gems. "These are obtained by slaying creatures known as wraiths. Related to the daemons of the warp, they are born from humanity's grief." I watched the darkness in the gem reduce by a little bit, before the cube started emanating a murky darkness.

"Now you must dispose of them. If you allow them to remain in that state, they will eventually become wraiths once more." Germana gestured to the side, where there was nothing. "But disposing of them is not hard."

Almost certainly on cue, a small white creature slipped out from around the corner and scampered to Germana's position. Tail waving back and forth, eyes staring motionless, the Incubator explained, "Give your cubes. We are capable of disposing of them. The energy gained from the process only furthers Her Holy Majesty's Resurrection."

I tossed the small piece of darkness, and nineteen others joined it. The Incubator's back opened up like a small compartment and caught all the cubes. I frowned at the strangeness of the action, but I knew the Incubators to be servants of the Goddess, so there wasn't reason for concern.

With that done, the Incubator ran to the other side of the building, turned the corner, and disappeared again. I faced Germana again, now not at all concerned. If it was this simple to remove the darkness, then there wouldn't be any trouble at all.

 _I didn't hear of anything like this in those books I read._ I realized, finding that strange. _But perhaps it was just censored out._ That was the most likely reason. I doubted anyone would leave out such a major aspect.

But even with that in mind, this was all far less scary than it was on the first day. I could call Aurelia something close to a friend, and I knew that for the time being I was safe here. _The only reason close to concern is Mariana's hatred of me and Aurelia, but Priscilla's sympathy probably means it won't last long._ I thought with confidence. I couldn't help but conclude that everything really was alright.

Germana started again, after the initial burst of conversation from the event died down. In that time, I'd been too wrapped up in my happiness to think of saying anything, and it made sense that Aurelia wouldn't speak a word. Of course, even were I paying attention to the outside world, I too wouldn't have spoken to her at all.

"You won't have to worry about your magic because you won't be using for a while. There are still about three-hundred and sixty days left before we really start going into magic." We all frowned. We were _mage_ knights. _Magical_ girls. Wasn't magic the entire point of our existence, the entire reason for our power?

Suppressing a chuckle at our reaction, Germana spoke nostalgically. "I think I reacted the same way back when I was first told about that. By the Goddess how long ago was that. One hundred and twenty-one years." She looked a bit down for a moment, before restoring her normal self. Unlike everything else she said, this seemed like a legitimate glance at her personality, rather than a calculated move.

"Well, anyways. You see, magic is important, but it's not everything. Magic can take anything and make it better. But if there's no foundation to work on, magic can only do so much." Germana got a proud smile on her face as she explained, "By the time this year is over, you will be able to at least disable a grown human without the slightest bit of magic, not even any enhancement at all."

My jaw dropped in amazement, and I couldn't believe that such a thing was really possible. Germana just watched us react for a few second, before continuing, "And only then will you truly start to learn how to control your abilities. After all that, you will be more powerful than almost anything else in the galaxy, save for other knights, and perhaps the more powerful warriors of the xenos."

"You are instruments of the Goddess's will, it is only proper that you all fit the part in terms of your strength." The sergeant took a deep breath. "So of course I began with testing your physical strength and endurance. It was not to try and weed out the week, or something foolish like that. None of you can leave at this point. It was to build up the strength and determination needed. Really, our days won't consist of merely exercising. It turns out that magic can make your muscles as strong as those of a Titan, or make your reflexes enough to dodge a bullet already fired."

"But what it cannot do is make your mind stronger, or give you all the skill and understanding needed to fight. Over the next year, you all will be training your mental ability to catch up with the physical ability your magic will grant you." Germana took another deep breath, letting her words sink into all of us. It was a bit different from what I expected, but I wasn't sad or disappointed. I won't say that the future didn't bring my anxiety, but it seemed clearer than ever.

All the talk of the future of course brought the specter of the third year's end and my emergence as a proper knight over my mind, but that was something I tried my hardest to disregard it. "Well then, you've already experienced sparring with your comrades. Now, let's learn what this is really all about."

There was still the problem of Aurelia, but hopefully we could put our issues aside. As I glanced at her, she didn't seem to notice. I know the answer now as to whether or not she was pretending, but back then, I couldn't be certain of anything with her.

* * *

Lunchtime came at a time when I could barely think. Merely exercising was one thing, but actually doing something not mindless yet still physically tiring was an entirely new experience. I can't say it was an enjoying time, but at least I could feel that I was truly learning things.

Aurelia and I made it clear to each other through body language that we wanted, though needed is truthful, time apart. So I sat in the same spot I'd sat in the past when we'd been split. Luckily I would find myself alone. A familiar stood across from me, asking permission to take a seat.

I nodded, and Catarina sat herself down opposite me. "So, I see you and Aurelia…did something." She couldn't help but grin. "Things got better, I presume?"

"Yes, you could say that. We aren't friends, but things are getting better." I looked around the room to find her, and located her across from Alliana. "You and Alliana aren't any better?" I asked.

Catarina sighed, "Unfortunately, that is the case. A debate that could be considered serious or silly, the problem is that neither of us will let it go." She tapped her foot on the ground, taking a bit of the bread.

"Have you considered just forgetting about it, trying to move on?" I wondered, not quite seeing the larger issue.

"Have you considered the same with Aurelia, just forgetting what she did?" Catarina turned the question around, and I sort of understood what she meant.

"We just can't let our differences go," I realized. "Well, I guess we have, we just need to actually get to know one another." Catarina agreed with that.

"The problem is that Catarina and I don't dislike each other on a personal level. We merely disagree about theology, something that's far above our heads. It's getting tired, and I'm honestly trying to end it."

I tossed an idea around in my head for a few seconds, but enough second-guessing prevented me from speaking a word. A part of me did understand that Catarina was trying to lead me to say something, and not just sit back and wait, but I honestly wasn't sure what to do.

Things turning awkward quickly, she showed her greater initiative. "Vergiana, perhaps you can shed some light on the matter."

"I'm no expert in the field, and I'd rather stay out of it," I said shakily. With hesitation, I did concede, "But…tell me what the problem is, and we'll see."

"Well, the problem comes from the nature of Her Holy Majesty. Alliana believes that she is a true god, while I see her as more of an ascended magical girl. Of course, the issue branches out from there with comparisons of her and the Chaos gods, as well as the truthfulness of the reports of other xenos 'gods'." Catarina explained. "We're both rather well-versed in the subject, but perhaps a third opinion could do some good."

I shrugged. Eventually finding something to say, I ended up tripping over every word. "Well I…I suppose I-I've always thought of H-Her as a true…god." The answer ended up coming out so that I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

Catarina waved her hand. "It's fine, I know you're probably interesting in topics less conductive of things like…" She spoke the word in a low whisper, "Heresy." _Unless I'm a fool, that word was a bit hard to say,_ was the first thing that came to my mind, but I didn't dare question her about why it might be so hard to say.

Rather, I just looked aside and did my best to hide the bright redness of my cheeks. Catarina took a few seconds to say anything more. "Well, it's fine that you can't do anything. You're right when you say I ought to just let it go." She took a deep breath. "Perhaps I could ask someone else." She looked around, before turning back to me.

Now looking at her was less uncomfortable than staring away, so I turned my head back to her. "Do you know anyone else?"

I debated about the answer to give. "Mariana and Priscilla." I said with a hint of regret. Catarina nodded in understanding.

"Not the most pleasant of people, right? Mariana at least." Catarina understood what I was talking about. "Otherwise, I don't really know anyone else." She said that herself, and I had to concur. "Have any idea why Mariana's so protective. There's the obvious fact that they're in a relationship, if not lovers yet."

I shook my head. "I asked Priscilla about her past once, and she seemed reluctant, and Mariana drove me away. It obviously has to do with that, but I can't say anything more."

For a few moments, I thought about that girl. _What ties them together so strongly?_ It wasn't only the nature of the bond, it was how they formed it in the first place. _If only I could be that close to someone,_ I thought dreamily for a second. I had never really thought about such a relationship before, but seeing the two of them had been an eye-opener.

"More serious topics aside, I guess we haven't spoken very personally, have we?" Catarina questioned. I nodded in reply. I wasn't sure I felt entirely comfortable talking to her about such things, but I wouldn't straight up reject any offers. We were to be in this for at least three years, and who knew how we'd be assigned after that part.

Once more, my heart was heavy with the weight of the future. That only drove me to seek conversation with Catarina even more. "Well, I suppose we could speak about that a little."

"Just a little?" Catarina grinned humorously, but I didn't take in such a light manner at first. The atmosphere grew stale quickly as she saw me not laughing, and decided to continue on. "I'm from Ioannina. Where are you from?"

A simple question, and something I wasn't afraid to answer. "Heraklion," I replied, "But I spent plenty of time out in the mountains too."

Catarina pursed her lips. I guessed that she was trying to figure out what to say, as she could tell I wasn't thrilled, but breaking off the conversation now would be even more awkward. "How'd you spend your time? Reading, learning?"

I sighed, "Reading, really. My older sister joined the knights when I was young, and I haven't seen too much of her. So I dedicated my time to reading. A lot of different things." I spoke in reply to the inevitable 'about what?'.

And it was just then when I realized that I had forgotten something. I didn't mention my love for drawing because of a desire to keep secrets, but because I had straight up forgotten about it. It had dropped entirely from my mind. I almost gasped in shock at the fact, but as it was my jaw still dropped. "Vergiana?" came the concerned question from Catarina.

I shook my head, "Nothing, just a…a memory. G-Go on," I insisted.

Catarina stared at me with concern for a few seconds, before going onto herself. I could tell that she was hesitating due to my previous action, but she seemed capable of letting it go, "I've always been engrossed with the sciences. Strange that that somehow led to the area of theology and philosophy. I started becoming bored with science after a while, maybe because the universe seemed to consist of so much more than could be explained with reason and logic."

It was a sentiment I could agree with. I was more interested in the arts, but sometimes I'd tried to delve into the realm of science and reasoning. It'd never struck me as something interesting, especially when it couldn't provide an explanation as to why an Incubator could grant one the power of the Goddess.

"I always thought a similar way," I agreed. Then I wondered, "So where's Alliana coming from? Same interests?"

Catarina nodded. "Perhaps were are merely too similar." She shrugged, slouching over and resting on her elbow. "There's plenty of reasons."

I found a rather profound question going unanswered. _Why choose her as a partner if this argument has been going since you started talking?_ I wondered. The question was a bit awkwardly forced out after a few seconds of hesitation, and Catarina just chuckled.

"Ah, that's because we wanted to continue the conversation." She shook her head in something that seemed to be a mix of regret and pleasure. To tell the truth, from my point of view Catarina didn't seem to particularly mind being stuck in this argument.

Of course, I guessed that there may be more to things than that. I wasn't the only one who wouldn't want to tell everything about myself. This whole experience so far seemed to have been a series of lies being told to each other, till eventually our real selves would come out.

Nevertheless, at least I could speak normally with Catarina. While it was just a start, it was better than nothing at all.

* * *

Night was steadily advancing through the sky as the sun dipped down. The characteristic cold of the dark was something I could barely feel. Hours and hours of training had made my body hot enough so that I felt I could have stood in a snowstorm and still have been warm.

The pleasantness of the earlier conversation with Aurelia wasn't lost on me, and I think it's that emotion that kept me driven steady throughout the rest of the day. Even as we went on that nightly run up and down the hill I couldn't help but be positive.

I noticed that I was slowly but surely getting better at running that. Stumbling less, making it back faster. I wasn't outpacing any but the slowest still, but I was making progress. Of course, others were progressing as well.

Germana let us get some early sleep, so we were all returning to our beds. A cold voice stopped me. "Vergiana, may we have a word?" The 'we' referred to the fact that Priscilla was still glued to her side.

I narrowed my eyes at them, but a voice in my head gave me some comfort. _Go, I'll stick around outside. Tell me if you need help._ Aurelia seemed strangely kind, but given her tone I betted it was more about getting back at Mariana than actually helping me.

 _Alright,_ I begrudgingly said, before following along with the two. There were quite a few buildings within the compound, and we turned a few corners before ending up a ways away from our building. I made sure to stay to the side of Mariana, and as we stopped, I asked, "What do you want?" My sharp tone didn't disturb either of them one bit.

"I have an apology to make." Mariana did not waver in her stare, but a slight difference in tone made me feel like it was more a request from her companion. I waited in silence for her to speak it. "I am sorry for attacking you earlier, and making the assumption that you are violent. In addition, I extend an apology to Aurelia, for my aggressiveness against her was also uncalled for."

My eyes flicked back and forth between the two. Given Mariana's dominant nature and Priscilla's frightfulness, I figured that the former would be calling the shots. But given what I saw there, it seemed that Priscilla was the one ordering the other.

"Thank you," I nodded, doing my best to look grateful. A beat. "Is that all?"

Mariana shook her head. Priscilla took a step forwards, only for Mariana to edge her way in between her and me. _Close enough_ , the move said to both Priscilla and I, though her glare at me ensured that I received the brunt of the threat.

Grasping tight onto Mariana's hand, Priscilla spoke softly and gently. I could compare her to a doll. "Vergiana, I apologize for Mariana's actions. She can be too protective of me at times. She is merely trying her hardest to ensure my safety. I thank her for that, but I must try to…try to get out in the wider world."

Priscilla looked saddened. Mariana seemed to be trembling, like she wanted to turn around, grab Priscilla in her arms and run away. I couldn't help but be cowed by the force of her emotion. "Unfortunately, I cannot stay as a bird in a cage forever. While it may be safe, it will ultimately hurt me. Therefore, I would like to extend a hand of friendship to you, Vergiana."

She reached out her left hand for me to shake. I stared at it, my choice already made, at least in terms of myself. However, Mariana had to be considered. Tenderly, I reached out my left hand and shook Priscilla's. Her sweet smile was matched by my own.

In the sky above, the clouds cleared to reveal the sliver of a moon that sat amidst the starry night. We were all tired from the long day. At least that was the explanation Mariana gave when she scooped Priscilla into her arms and almost ran off.

She seemed scared of me. Not because of who I was specifically, but because I was just a different person. I almost wanted to cry out and stop them, to talk to them, but I didn't want to delay Mariana any longer.

I walked slowly back. I was cold enough now so that the night air was felt on my skin. As I walked by a corner, footsteps started to mark someone beside me. "How did it go?" Aurelia asked coldly.

"Mariana cares about Priscilla. Priscilla wants to be my friend," I explained, as though that covered everything about the conversation.

Aurelia nodded. "That girl, Mariana, she truly has her priorities straight. There is no doubt in her mind, not anywhere. I envy her at times." She was strangely open, even in the way she walked alongside me.

"Priscilla compared herself to a bird in a cage." We reached the building, but we stood a few feet from the door as we talked. I continued, "Almost like she's been cooped and locked away from the world. Not that she disliked it."

"Mariana's protecting her from everything, because she thinks anything might hurt her." Aurelia nodded. "That means something terrible happened to Priscilla. Maybe Mariana feels responsible, or perhaps she is just a better person than all of us combined." The girl looked up into the dark sky as she talked.

For what might have been the first time in the past few days, I spoke without hesitation, "Do you feel responsible for something?" I asked Aurelia.

She tensed up at that. Then she turned to face me. Deep into my eyes she stared, enough to make me want to turn and run away. "Yes," She whispered almost inaudibly. I could feel hints of pain coursing through her voice.

I reached out for her hand. "Aurelia…" I said quietly. But she shook her head.

"Even if that's the case, I don't want your sympathy." She turned and walked for the door.

"Aurelia." I said firmly. That made the girl stop. For a moment, I feared a strike that she might throw. But I told myself that I'd still hold my ground.

It was surprise that she stared at me with. She narrowed her eyes at me, perhaps questioning if I was really me. "Are you running away from that responsibility?" I asked.

Aurelia shut her eyes, and turned away from me. I could see her mouth moving just a little. I couldn't hear it, and I'm no reader of lips. "Aurelia." I repeated, desperately this time.

"Not now," Aurelia stated, opening the door. I went after her as she stormed inside. I couldn't catch her before she got onto the bed. Beside her I stood, staring down as she sat on the edge. Head hung low, I could feel the shame. "Just go to sleep," Aurelia quietly begged.

Conversations continued all around us, and maybe a couple stopped to look. But we were just two more voices amidst the others. Priscilla and Mariana weren't inside, and I couldn't blame them for that. I stood futilely in front of Aurelia for a few seconds more.

Then I conceded to her and climbed up to my own bunk. I removed my heels as I always did and crawled under the covers. Sleep didn't come for a long time. I didn't know what I was feeling, but it was something that told me I wouldn't let Aurelia suffer.

Even if I had no idea what I was doing. Even if I was a socially incompetent, bumbling fool. I'd still try. If nothing else, focusing on the present made the future look a lot less scary.

* * *

End of Chapter 8 of Record


	12. Something That Could Scare a Demon

Before, she'd at least acknowledged me. Before, she'd at least been willing to try and talk to me. Even at our worst before, she hadn't shut me out entirely. As I went to sleep, and when I woke up the next morning, I figured that she just wouldn't say a word.

But Aurelia acted as though we didn't speak at all that night before. Like she'd never come close to revealing any secrets, like nothing had changed. It made it clear to me that I had gone too far. So I didn't say a word to imply we had talked. A switch had been flipped, and that brief conversation was erased.

Perhaps it was for the better. Neither of us were ready to handle the consequences. I was fine with taking a step back. It was doubtful that continuing would have led to anything good.

Still, the air between us was awkward. It was lucky that there was a distraction awaiting the both of us at breakfast. Apparently, others had managed to move forwards further than we had, because Catarina and Alliana were somehow not locked in their usual arguing.

Invited over, the atmosphere was still tense and strange. It was easy to see how forced this whole arrangement was. But I suppose such things were to be expected, given that it was only our fifth day of knowing each other. Nervous glances were cast around the table, no one really sure when to speak.

I figured that it would be either the bravest or the most foolish of us who would say the first real thing that would start some conversation. When the moment came I wasn't sure which of those fit. "So you two have resolved your argument?" Aurelia questioned.

That perhaps wasn't the best question to start with. Both girls seemed put off by it. They looked at each other briefly, then Catarina said, "Postponed, would perhaps be the best term. For the best interests of the two of us." She explained.

We nodded. From her tone, the issue was best left untouched. "And you two?" Alliana asked. The first time she'd spoken directly to me. Even then, it wasn't directly to me. Though, she didn't seem to be Catarina's Alliana, to speak metaphorically. They were of the same social standing, and clearly could enjoy each other on a personal level.

I doubt they truly even disliked each other. It was just a silly argument. I wish I could have swapped problems with them. "Better," Aurelia said bluntly. "Not yet good." That stung, but that was mainly because it was true.

"I see," Alliana nodded, comprehending the fact that such a topic wasn't the best at the moment. The table fell right back into the seemingly inescapable abyss of painful silence.

"Rather than retread the same old path of 'where are you from' or something of the sort, let's talk about what we think of the present." Catarina suggested, her language flowery and formal as per usual. "How are you liking this so far?"

Over the past few days, very little of my thought had been dedicated to the place where I was. I was too busy wrapped up with Aurelia and my relationship with her. My eagerness was such that I was the first to speak. "It's certainly interesting. Different from what I thought, but I think that might apply to all of us."

Alliana agreed. "Definitely. I was thinking it'd be more focused on the magic, and this is a surprise. I don't really care though. It doesn't invalidate my reason for contracting. In three years, the result will be the same."

Aurelia had the same tone to her voice. "It doesn't matter. Whatever happens from now on…doesn't change my motivation." I could feel her realization as I sadly looked away.

Catarina choose to ignore that, and spoke. "I think I feel the same as you three. This a journey, after all." She turned her head to Alliana, seeing Aurelia and I engaged in a silent contest of expressions. Neither of us wanted to show what we were feeling.

Before she could talk, I turned to Aurelia. "Perhaps we should go elsewhere?"

Catarina raised her brow at that, but Aurelia surprisingly did not disagree. "If you insist." She stood up. I hastily followed her as she strode away. Catarina gave me an approving nod as I walked after Aurelia, not wanting to miss out on my chance.

Aurelia's cold voice already reached my ears as I walked out after her into the less cold morning. "If you're going to insist on bringing up such issues, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't do it in front of others." That was all she apparently needed to say.

"What issues?" I asked. Annoyed, I shot back, "I understood what you were really saying. They had no idea."

Aurelia shrugged, "Fine, if you believe so." She walked up close to me. "I don't like people handing out secrets like this. Keep your mouth shut, and I'll trust you." Then she stepped by me.

"You're just a selfish brat, you know." I pointed out, "Can't even face her own problems." I tensed up, waiting for a harsh reply.

But all Aurelia did was speak the harsh truth. "And you can't do anything but obsess with everyone else because thinking of tomorrow scares you." I heard the door back inside open and close as I realized how frightfully correct she was.

* * *

I didn't see myself being where I was a few hours later. It was a small room with chairs for ten. And there were ten of us. The other squad was outside with Germana. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I was pleased that I could at least have a temporary break from the exercise.

The one door led outside, but the other led further into the small building. There wasn't much conversation. We were all tired, and there wasn't much to discuss. With a small turn of the doorknob, our eyes were all brought to the entryway.

There stood an armored girl, dressed in a similar suit to Germana's. A different insignia sat on her shoulder, which I guessed to be that of the Librarium. Her eyes immediately fell on me. "Vergiana, if you'd come with me." I'd never seen her before, but I didn't take her knowing of my name too seriously.

I followed her through the door, and a short hall took us to another small room. There was a chair in the center of the room, and another one next to a small desk. The girl gestured to the chair in the center, before seating herself in the wheeled, swiveling chair a few feet away.

"My name is Elliana," she introduced herself, "I'm a Codicier in the Librarium. It's my job to assist you training in ways that a telepath is needed for." She offered me a glass of water. "You need to be hydrated for what is to come."

After sipping from the glass, "What exactly are you doing?" I asked, a bit worried.

The girl had short brown hair, and carried herself with a rather easygoing air. "Simply put, I'm jamming knowledge into your mind. A bit more complex explanation is that I'm inserting skills and techniques into your mind, so that you may learn to employ them with your body." There wasn't anything in the room but the two chairs and the desk.

"What do you mean?"

Elliana leaned back in her chair, and crossed her legs. "Please lean back and relax," She suggested, "This is your first time, so it'll be a little slow." Then she began to explain, "Basically, we cannot afford to spend too much time training new Knights. Learning all the skills you will need will take an incredibly long time, if not for telepathy. I have the skills in my head, so what I'm going to do is take the raw information of them, and transfer them to your mind."

I frowned, "Why is that difficult?" I had no knowledge of the specifics of telepathy.

"Because…it's hard to explain. You'll understand one day, you are a telepath after all, but for now bear with me. Your mind doesn't have the room for such new information." Elliana explained, "Theoretically, you're mind's storage space is most certainly limited, but practically, you can store everything you ever need to know in there. With the mental control of a magical girl, you'll always remember everything. But normally when you intake new information, your mind will adjust to facilitate the new information and properly contain it. If it's unnecessary, it will be forgotten, freeing up more space. However, you're not learning this new information normally. You're not learning it at all."

She took the glass of water from me, and placed it on the desk. She pointed to the pitcher. "Imagine if I were to just teleport all the water from inside that pitcher into the glass. It'd all spill out because there's no room. That's why this is difficult. You're not giving your mind time to make room for the new information, so unless I take measures within your mind to counteract it, you'll just forget everything instantly, as it all comes spilling out of your head."

I nodded, understanding what she was saying. "But then how do I create that space? How do I learn to use all that?" I wondered.

"With practice. Your mind will instantly start to try and accommodate the new knowledge. And if you start applying it, it will be recognized quickly as something useful, and space will be made for it. You see, your body and reflexes can be enhanced to the point where you can grab bullets out of midair. But if your body isn't used to doing that, not used to going through the motions, to understanding the process, then you can never actually do it." Elliana explained. "So that's why everything after this will be application of what was put in your head."

She took a breath. "And I have to do that a few more times. I usually start with the telepath then tell the rest once they come out."

"You sound like it'll leave a mark or something," I noticed with worry.

She nodded to that. "It is entirely consensual, and you should be opening your mind to my own, but given the amount being put in, you'll be suffering the effects of a mild concussion for the next twenty-four hours or so." Elliana stated. Then she ordered, "Lean back and relax. Close your eyes. Have you found a sort of mental self, yet?"

"I have," I confirmed.

"Then focus on that, and listen to what I say." She spoke like it was more a recommendation. "First, reach out and find my mind." I did so, understanding that an existence far greater than my own was right beside me. "I will start reaching out to you. Accept everything that is about to happen. Do not even tense up, or else I may have to push through."

Slowly, I could feel her reaching out to me. I felt some other form pressing against my own, making contact with my mind. It was a strange feeling, something I didn't at all understand. But I did as Elliana said, and tried to just let it happen. I willed my mind to lower its defenses, to accept this intrusion and not try to fight it off.

I began to understand that my mind worked like a human body might to an intruder from the outside. It first assessed the nature of the entity, and then responded in kind. The difference is that I could control my mind. A sharp pain started in a corner of my head, then quickly spread to the rest. It stabbed into every inch of my skull. Against my will, I flinched, and the pain only got worse.

"Stay calm, it's almost over." It felt like a flood of jumbled images was pouring into my brain. I struggled to try and comprehend the flow, but I didn't have the slightest chance. Instead, it kept coming, till suddenly it stopped. My eyes shot open as I gasped for breath.

I had been so focused on my mind that I barely realized I was breathing hard, and that my body sweat profusely. Elliana laid a hand on my shoulder. "It's over now. Try not to think for a little while. If you can, rest. Germana won't be doing anything else today, at least nothing too harsh. Don't feel bad about falling asleep."

She helped me to my feet, and I stumbled my way towards the door. The world was hazy before my eyes, and I almost tripped over myself the entirety of the way down the hall. My head pulsed with a terrible pain, and my eyes could barely stay open.

The door was gently pushed open, and the others immediately looked in shock at me. I don't think it was a trick of my ailing mind when I saw Aurelia show concern for a brief second. We had been sitting beside each other, albeit not interacting, when Elliana first came.

I got back into that seat, and just fell to whatever side felt comfortable. As I was about to go onto someone else's shoulder, I felt Aurelia tug me back over to her. I could almost hear the "Don't be a bother to others," Spitting out of her mouth.

I was in a daze as Elliana gave the explanation to everyone else, but the part of me that was conscious understood that at least Aurelia cared a little.

* * *

End Chapter 9 of Record

* * *

The girl was wrapped up tightly under the covers. Her breathing was soft and steady. A hand rested gently on where her feet lay. That hand belonged to a body whose face held a gentle and warm smile. Her head turned back over her shoulder, Columbine ran her eyes along the length of Ushio's body.

She hadn't meant to count the time since she found sleep wasn't going to be an option, but it had been two hours, thirty-seven minutes, and forty-one seconds. Not that it was easy sitting up with unease filling up her body. It was as though the very air aboard the ship was somehow poisonous, filling her with unhappy thoughts.

"Everyone is keeping secrets from everyone else," Columbine remarked quietly counting herself in that comment as well. "Of course some of those secrets will be poisonous." She turned to face towards the blank wall once again.

While Ushio had managed to sleep easily, Columbine couldn't rest. The excuse she'd tell Ushio was that she felt a bit uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed as her. In truth, the problem was far more complex than that. "Ten years…" It wasn't the first time Columbine had whispered those words in the past two and a half hours.

As though they carried just as much of a meaning for her as they did everyone else, she whispered them at the lowest of volumes. Ten years wasn't exactly a lot of time for her, or for any magical girl. She could waste away ten years and still have an infinite number more. But ten years ago was a time that she held close to her heart.

A gasp from beside Columbine drew her attention. Ushio froze up under the surprised glance of the blonde, continuing to breathe heavily. "What's the matter?" Columbine asked with a furrowed brow.

"Ah…just a dream," Ushio forced herself to lie back down and pressed into the pillow. Her hand yanked the sheets over herself once again. Like an animal cowering in its nest.

Columbine faced again towards the wall. Legs swinging back and forth off the bed's edge, she wondered in a distant voice, "A bad one?"

Ushio made a noise that sounded like affirmation. "What did you see?" Columbine asked. Her eyes lost focus like there was something beyond the wall she tried to see. It was a long time before Ushio said a word.

"It was a scary dream. I didn't like it, not at all." Ushio's voice was faint. "I don't know if it was a memory or a vision of the future." She pulled the blankets tighter to herself. "I can't understand my own mind anymore."

"Don't talk like that. You're just tired, and that was just a dream." Columbine wasn't trying to lie, but something in her made her feel like her words were just hollow, empty promises. "Everything's fine."

"Do you truly think that yourself?" Ushio asked.

A satisfied grin came to Columbine's face. "I suppose you know me too well." She pushed herself up from the bed and stood straight. Still, her eyes didn't fall upon Ushio. "I don't. But…for now at least, we're safe. Rest, please. Sooner or later, you won't be able to rest for a long time."

Ushio shifted, rolling over to face Columbine. Now the blonde looked over her shoulder. Their eyes met. "Thank you," Ushio said softly. Then she pulled the covers up close and shut her eyes. Columbine nodded. A hand ran slowly through her hair, before she turned on her heel and strode to the door.

"No…" She shook her head. _I can't give off the impression that we're planning. Best to seem as docile as possible at the moment._ To that end, Columbine turned around and walked back towards the bed. Once again she sat down gently near the end.

"Why don't you rest too?" Ushio called to her. The offer was growing more and more tempting by the second. But Columbine could still feel the fear in her own heart.

So the only answer she could give was a halfhearted "Maybe." Looking away from Ushio, she only heard the girl move. Columbine understandably flinched in shock as arms lazily wrapped around her neck.

"You're acting too stubborn. Idiotic, even." Ushio commented quietly. Her voice was cool and critical, but Columbine could hear the underlying currents of fear.

The blonde tensed up, asking quietly, "Could you please get off of me?" Ushio complied, merely falling back onto the bed. The girl stared up at the ceiling, even then seeming utterly exhausted.

Even as she did, a klaxon blared loudly. Warp entry was not far away. Columbine sighed, and turned to face Ushio. "How hard is it for you?" she asked.

Ushio just shrugged. "It's never been easy, but it's not what I'd call 'bad'." She rolled onto her side, facing off in a different direction.

Columbine stood up. "Once it's over, I'll rest," She promised.

"Can you really do that?" Ushio wondered, "With all your fear, all your thinking?"

Columbine sighed. "It's partly good that I am so constantly deep in thought, but on the other hand it can be a curse at times. Now, it appears to be more of a curse than a blessing." She turned around while clasping her hands behind her back.

Looking at Ushio's back, she commented, "We should remain in here for the time being. I don't like the concept of having to stay cooped up in here, but we should not seem like uncourteous guests." Then she sucked in a deep breath, feeling needles crawl up her spine.

The warp entry occurred. A strange stench came to Columbine's nostrils, and her body felt like a million pins stabbed it at once, but nothing more than that. Within a few seconds, it was all over.

"Nothing too serious," Columbine commented. Staring up at the ceiling, she whispered a prayer and said louder, "Perhaps this really is nothing at all."

This time, Columbine had counted the minutes till the knock on the door came. With the tides of the warp separating her from Ingwe, Columbine hoped the girl wasn't the one knocking. _I hope she isn't telling them anything, either. That'd be disastrous._

A certain level of tension growing in her chest, Columbine approached the door. Her hand paused as her face lightened to a thoughtful expression. Somehow, her memories of all of this seemed to begin with her opening the door for someone else.

Unfortunately, her memories lined up a bit too well. Standing there was someone she didn't like either. Not for the same reasons as Margareta, but still. For the sake of her relationship with her hosts, the bitterness didn't find its way into her tone. "Hello," Columbine nodded to the albino girl standing there.

Tamashii nodded in reply, "I hope I am not disturbing you." She looked past Columbine to see Ushio still wrapped up in bed. She then looked questioningly at Columbine, "Asleep?" She received a nod. "Well, Hjalma would like to speak to at least you, but would you mind if you companion accompanied us?"

Columbine shook her head, and stepped out of the room, gently closing the door. Ingwe stepped out into the hall as well. They didn't seem to greet one another, but the contact of their eyes was all they needed. "This way, please." Tamashii led them the way they had come.

Not a single word passed between Ingwe and Columbine on that short journey. Columbine did glance around the halls of the vessel, noticing that she found no one else. Dvasia was nowhere to be seen. Tamashii appeared to be entirely unconcerned about Columbine and Ingwe.

 _She's right to be, though. Perhaps she is more intelligent than I thought._ Making such a concession was a pretty prospect, and not due to some silly pride. _If she's clever, than the others are too. I need as little opposition as possible. Hopefully this gives me answers. The biggest problem at the moment is that I know nothing and they know everything._

* * *

The silence and darkness of the large room met them once again as Tamashii held open the door. Columbine could see Dvasia sitting at the table with Hjalma. She walked forwards steadily, Tamashii following right behind. Ingwe was once again left alone, but still followed, albeit at a slower pace.

Columbine sat herself, as did Tamashii. Ingwe's eyes ran over the table, before she sat too. No one but Columbine gave her the slightest bit of attention. "So why did you call me here?" The blonde immediately asked, leaning back in her chair. Her face didn't expose an emotion other than boredom.

From looks alone, Hjalma wasn't affected in the slightest by Columbine's demeanor, but then again, from looks alone Columbine was bored out of her mind. "Is Ushio sleeping?"

Columbine nodded. "She needs some rest."

Hjalma furrowed her eyebrows, "So you care about her?"

"I do care what happens to her, yes," Columbine replied, careful not to let slip too much. She crossed her arms, eyes unwavering as they met Hjalma's. "Why would I not? What makes you think that I don't?"

"I was just wondering," Hjalma explained, her face brightening up. "Just confirming that you are on good terms with her, you are incredibly vital to all this."

Columbine affirmed her understanding. "But such things aside, I assume you wish to talk about how we might move forwards?" Hopefully interjecting at that moment would throw Hjalma off her pace, if there was a plan.

Hjalma didn't let anything slip, and merely nodded. "Yes, I was hoping that you could have some sort of plan to handle the problems we are currently facing. That is, we need to escape from Astikai long enough to retrieve Ushio's memories." She then explained.

Columbine frowned. "How do you know Astikai is following us?"

Hjalma admitted, "We don't. However, we must assume that she is. We are a bit ahead of her, but we will not be able to handle another straight up battle. Therefore, we must figure out some way to avoid her."

"Why ask me?" Columbine wondered. _They shouldn't know I'm that intelligent._ "I'm just the memory manipulator here."

She had to suppress a smirk as she saw the slight shift in Hjalma's face and posture. _I called them on it._ "We have heard of your prowess. We've been keeping track of Astikai for some time." Hjalma handled it well.

 _Progress that was never reported, Astikai didn't want people knowing that it wasn't her. And if you had someone on the ship, then shouldn't they have helped?_ However, she kept her mouth shut about that, knowing that to say anything more would expose her own suspicions about them.

"Anyways, I'd like to wonder what's really going on here." Columbine raised her eyebrow as she asked the question, "You clearly know Astikai, yet you do not seem to understand anything about her. You don't even explain how you know her in the first place." She paused, then finished, "In short, you're keeping secrets, and there doesn't appear to be a reason for that."

Hjalma sighed. Tapping a finger on the table, she offered as explanation, "The whole and complete truth just isn't needed. Now is not the best time, anyways. It would be better for us to move on to the more pressing issue at hand, rather than continue to get wrapped up in these silly accusations."

 _Not a good reason, but you're correct._ So Columbine conceded. "Fine, then." She thought for a few moments. "Our primary objective is to avoid a confrontation with Astikai. We cannot win such an encounter if Astikai intends to win, and I cannot predict her actions past a certain point."

Hjalma reached for a switch on the table, and a hologram display flicked on. Columbine looked over the display that showed the sector and its surroundings. A clever smirk came onto her face. "We go the same way we were going." She thought aloud. At the looks of confusion, she explained. "We'll follow the same path I told Astikai." Columbine indicated it and explained.

"With one change," She said, "We drop out in Cyprus. We don't just go by, we actually exit the warp there." Hjalma looked at Columbine like the girl was insane.

"What do you mean?" she demanded.

"A sacrifice," Columbine said quietly, "This vessel is unidentified, is it not?"

Hjalma nodded, "not in any record."

Columbine's grin just grew wider and wider. "Well there you have it. We state that we are on some sort of covert operation and are being pursued, and by the time they check us, Astikai will have arrived. She'll be a more pressing concern than us, even should we be found out, and if we make to leave, we should be fine. Astikai, on the other hand…" Columbine just trailed off, letting the others fill in the rest.

"Will they be able to kill her?" Hjalma questioned.

Columbine just shrugged. "Maybe. She'll slaughter at least half the system's defense force if they somehow manage to. But does it matter? They'll slow her down, and that's all we need." The others agreed.

"But how do we know she'll follow us, or know to exit at Cyprus?" Ingwe brought up the point. "Who knows what she could be doing."

I nodded, "I suppose there is that. We really don't know what she might end up doing. She'll trace us headed towards Cyprus, but will she follow along…" Columbine shook her head. "She'll expect us to follow the same route up until then, however."

 _If they don't ask why, then they know Astikai's smarter than me. Therefore, they really have no information about my exploits under her._ "Why is that?" Tamashii asked. Hjalma seemed a bit surprised by the question, but Columbine acted in disregard to that emotion.

"She's smarter than I am. Always has been. She sees at least this move coming."

"Will she expect Cyprus?" Hjalma wondered, apparently catching on.

Columbine doubted that, "No, and it has little to do with intelligence. Well actually, her intelligence is what will assure that the move will work." She explained, "Astikai knows that I have always acted in a selfish manner, with disregard to her wants. If there is a way out of a bad situation, I take it. Doing this goes against my need for guaranteed survival, as it's a risky move. She'll track us heading to Cyprus, but she won't call it beforehand."

Hjalma nodded. She stood up. "Well, I think we've spoken enough for now, and this plan works. You may return to your quarters now. Would you like Tamashii to bring you there?" Columbine shook her head.

"We'll be fine," She assured the girl. Ingwe followed immediately this time as they strolled away, leaving the others behind in the moon-light tranquility.

* * *

There were alone as they returned. "They somehow know who I am." Columbine said with annoyance. Her eyes darted to their corners, giving her a glimpse of the girl behind her. Ingwe didn't react to those words. "I don't know how, but they have to had someone on the inside, or some way of learning. Perhaps we ran into one of their associates at some point, but they wouldn't know I was calling the shots. It has to be someone inside." Her eyes lit up, "Cherepia." She nodded in agreement with the idea, "Cherepia has to be the one, she let me go, and she's working for Astikai, the perfect position to give them information."

Columbine sighed, "That doesn't make anything better. I don't trust any of these people." A beat. "What do you think, Ingwe?"

"It feels strange here. Like something's wrong. Just a gut sensation, I suppose." Ingwe's eyes glanced all around. "They're playing you, you know. They could care less about me, I'm just a tagalong."

Columbine understood that much. "Don't worry, I won't let them play with us. And…" She grinned. Stopping in her tracks, Columbine turned on her heel. "See if you can start getting under their skin. If they really don't care, they won't mind you doing whatever you want, right. You're not important to them, and you know little about all this."

Ingwe grinned slyly. "You're right." She nodded. "Let's get back, from there, I'll start trying something." She took a deep breath, "Just do one thing for me."

"What's that?"

Ingwe's tone was utterly serious, "Don't move too fast. Ushio's our saving grace at the moment. When her memories are back, we're dead." Columbine nodded, though not an ounce of fear showed in her expression.

"We'll be fine. Just try your best, right?"

The girl jumped slightly as the door opened. Ushio's eyes fell on the entering girl, and she instantly relaxed as she recognized Columbine. The blonde paused there for a moment, the response not lost on her. Neither said a word as Columbine walked towards the bed.

Ushio's legs hung from the side, and she now looked away in embarrassment. "You were speaking to them?" she supposed. Columbine answered with a short "mm-hmm". The girl leaned back onto the bed. "You seem tired," Ushio commented, still not looking at her face.

"I suppose I am," Columbine admitted. A few seconds of silence. "May I get some rest?"

"You don't have to ask," Ushio got down from the bed and stretched herself out. Columbine crawled further up, and pulled the topmost layer of cover over herself.

Ushio looked around the room, wondering what to do. "Ushio…" came the girl on the bed, "You understand that you're invaluable to them, right?"

The brown-haired girl nodded, frowning. "Of course, what do you mean?"

"I'm not. Neither is Ingwe. They could make plans without me, they're probably just making me feel important." Columbine sounded worried. "I'm just saying that…one day…"

Ushio tensed up, till Columbine just spat it out, "What I'm trying to say is that you'll outlive me by a long time."

"Why do I need to know that?" Ushio wondered. Columbine took a deep breath, apparently considering that question herself.

"It's easier to accept it if I just say it. I'm a selfish person," Columbine said, "I like living." She rolled over to face the opposite direction. "Wake me up in two hours if I'm not already awake."

Ushio looked at her for a few moments. Her hands came up to her face as she tried to comprehend what she'd just heard. "Columbine…" She found herself whispering.

* * *

Meryet followed Alicia's gaze outwards, confusion spreading across her face. The first thought in her mind was to deny the girl, pass it off as just some bad dream she'd had. _But there's still the chance,_ Alicia wasn't wrong about these kinds of things.

"Just go back to sleep for now," Meryet said softly, and tried to relax Alicia back down. "I'm sure it'll be fine." The fear in the younger girl's eyes told Meryet everything she needed to know. So the room fell silent as both girls stopped.

Her eyes staring out at the dark sky again, Meryet whispered, "If it's coming, and it's that bad, what can we do to stop it now?" Slowly, she turned her head to face Alicia. "Alicia, please. Go to sleep, worrying won't do a thing right now."

A shudder ran through the girl's body. "Meryet…" She complained, glancing back at the sky. The older girl slowly got down onto the bed beside Alicia.

"Just hang onto me. I'll stay with you," Meryet promised. The girl pressed herself into Meryet as she leaned back, staring worriedly up into the sky. Neither said a word. Nothing needed to be said.

* * *

Eyelids slowly parted. Before her was a world of shifting colors. Eyes slammed shut again, recoiling from the twisting and writhing hues. Just barely, they cracked open again, going slower and slower till they finally opened fully. Every color of the rainbow, and some that couldn't be said to fit in, painted the neverending world around her.

The ground went on for eternity, and the sky seemed to have no end. Even in the distance, the same pulsing colors could be visible. Every second the world changed, everything constantly in a state of flux. Her lungs sucked in a deep and unsteady breathe, before releasing it just as a frightfully.

No smell, no sound, just an ever-changing world of colors. Carefully, she turned around. Columbine's eyes widened as they fell upon the sight before her. In the midst of the chaotic realm was a small chair. Pure white, and suited for a younger person. It shone as a point of stability.

Columbine could see the side of the girl sitting there. At first, she was unknown, then she turned her head. The golden hair became unmistakable as deep, shining eyes met Columbine's. There wasn't what someone would call life in those eyes. There was something there, maybe some kind of life, yet not the life that most knew.

"Columbine," she said quietly. The girl had not her usual meek expression. She was perfectly calm, close to emotionless, save for the light grin she bore on her face. "Greetings."

The girl in the cage. It was her. Without a doubt. She was here, before Columbine. "What is this place?" Columbine demanded, storming forwards.

"What do you think?" the girl responded in a gentle voice.

Columbine stopped a foot from the chair, and despite her fury, the girl seemed unready to move or give an answer. "A dream, most likely. I have no idea how you're accessing it in the warp, however." Columbine's eyes suspiciously glanced around, as if to find the way out.

"You are correct. This is indeed a dream." Columbine flinched as the girl stood up. Something about the girl scared her. Not normally, either. Columbine felt that her body was acting against her will, stepping back with each step the girl took. Deep down, she felt an instinct of self-preservation, a primal fear, as though the girl could end her existence entirely.

"W-what are you?" Columbine stammered. She had never felt this afraid in her entire life. Had the world not stretched on forever, she would have turned and run away. Her body started to shudder, her legs collapsing under her. "What are you?!" She screamed.

The girl commented with a bit of a larger grin, "Something you seem to be afraid of." She reached down. Columbine was too paralyzed to react.

Smooth skin pressed against Columbine's forehead. Relaxation spread through her body, and Columbine almost fell into sleep. But the fear hadn't left. Columbine stayed awake because her body knew that what was happening was something wrong on a level far beyond what she could understand, even as a memory manipulator.

A deep sense of wrongness pervaded every part of her body, as though something had violated every boundary she could possibly set. "Ah, I see." The girl stood up straight. Grinning again, she said, "I shall see you at Cyprus." Then she turned around.

Though Columbine fought the urge to fall asleep, the girl disappeared and everything went black. Yet the absolute darkness brought with it peace.

This time the awakening was accompanied with a cry. Columbine's eyelids parted to find a world she recognized, but she still breathed hard and glanced frantically around to confirm that it was real. She pulled her legs to her chest along with her frantic panting, as she tried to understand what she had just experienced.

"Columbine?" Ushio asked from across the room. The girl had fear in her voice. A beat. Columbine gasped as she saw Ushio, only pushing herself backwards even further. Ushio stepped towards Columbine, moving to the side of the bed. "What's wrong?" She asked, reaching for her. Then she stopped.

For a second, she was certain Columbine would just bat the hand away. That wasn't what happened. Shakily, Columbine extended her hand to grasp Ushio's. Breath caught in her throat, Columbine tightly grabbed the girl's hand. Then she released a sigh of relief, "This is real…" She smiled.

"Of course it is," Ushio said, taking a step closer to Columbine. "This is real. There's nothing to be scared of." She slowly moved onto the side of the bed.

But Columbine just shook her head. "Oh no. There is plenty to be scared of." Despair welled up in her eyes as she looked forwards. "Astikai knows everything now." Columbine paused. "And I was touched by…something…"

"A demon?" Ushio questioned, concerned.

Columbine's voice was overflowing with terror as she whispered, "No. Something that could scare one."

* * *

Meryet's eyes opened to a happier scene. Sunlight poured in through the open windows, and she could feel Alicia still curled against her chest. For a moment, everything was at peace.

A 'tsk-tsk' from the side was followed by a smug, "Stealing a younger girl's first time like that, how shameful." Meryet nearly jumped, but recognized Lucine's voice. She turned her head, seeing the girl sitting atop the nightstand. The contents of an entire bottle of wine were just finishing making their way done her throat.

"Speak for yourself," Meryet spat. Then she eased up her tone, "Why are you here?"

"I'm just bored," Lucine shrugged. "Early in the morning, everyone's tired, not much to do." She winked at Meryet, "Though you seem all rested and ready."

Meryet didn't reply to that for a moment, just turning her head away and staring out the window. "Sorry, but I'm not exactly in the mood for games at the moment."

"Fine, fine." Lucine sighed, "So you two are leaving tomorrow, going on a little vacation-" She leaned close to Meryet. "All. By. Your. Selves." A loud crack rang out, followed by a pair of crashes. Meryet just nonchalantly stared out the window as Lucine pushed the lamp off of herself and rubbed the bruise on her face.

"That's a bit excessive." She commented, but Meryet cut her off before the next comment.

"I'll get more excessive if you keep it up." Meryet explained plainly. Lucine nodded, restoring the lamp to its place.

"Well, I'll be accompanying you, just to let you know." With that, she turned and left. Meryet felt that it was only right to say some complaint, but knew that it would merely be a complaint, with no real effect.

"Fine," She muttered. Luckily, Lucine was out of the room by the time Alicia awoke, probably roused by the loud sounds only seconds before.

"Good morning," Meryet said.

Alicia looked around frightfully for a few moments, as though to confirm her location. Then a faint, "Good morning."

* * *

The warm rays of the sun reflected brilliantly off the surface of the ocean that stretched on into the horizon. Low waves crested gently against the beach, and not a cloud could be seen in the sky. Meryet could see the discomfort of Alicia, but such earthly pleasures were still something Meryet herself had to partake in at times.

"Just this one more day." She promised, "We'll leave tomorrow. I just need a bit of time." Meryet had said it many times, but saying it didn't really make Alicia feel better in the moment.

"Alright," She'd say, and look back at the floor. The sun hurt her eyes. They were on the balcony of their room, but Meryet didn't seek the shade. Vague thoughts about the dangers of sunbathing for too long flickered through her mind, but she was fairly certain that cancer meant nothing to her.

The sunlight was something that Meryet didn't stop herself from enjoying. Eyes shut, she just stared up into the sky. "I never got the fun of it," Lucine said. She wasn't there a second ago.

And she brought with an awful stench. Meryet cracked open one eye, glaring fiercely at the cigarette in the girl's hand. "What?"

"Sitting in the sun like this," the girl explained, taking a draw. "It just seems boring." Then a smirk came onto her face, "Though it does provide a good-"

"I don't want to hear it," Meryet intervened with a sigh, "Just stop." Then she added, "And stop that, while you're at it." With a gesture at the cigarette.

"I enjoy it, what's the problem?" Lucine wondered.

"I hate the smell." Meryet offered.

"Which is why I generally don't do it around you, or most people," Lucine shrugged, "I'm no addict, it's just something enjoyable. Besides, how am I supposed to even get addicted?"

Meryet just shut her eye and shifted around on the chair. "Do whatever you want."

"I already do," She assured Meryet. Meryet heard a sound that implied the cigarette being flicked away. A brief sound, then another one of clinking metal, preceded a sharp crack in the air. The smell quickly faded. "See?" She asked. Meryet opened an eye, seeing the whip in the girl's hand, and the microscopic particles of the cigarette that were presumably floating in the air. "I did that for you."

A knock at the door interrupted the two of them. Meryet leapt from her seat, flashing on her normal clothing. She walked to the door at the entrance to the suite. Not hesitating in opening it, she suddenly regretted the decision. An imposing figure of a girl stood on the other side.

"Greetings, Ms. Aleanudh. I am Lord Inquisitor Alania. I understand that there is an Alicia here?" Meryet nodded.

"What do you want with her?"

"Just to see her," The inquisitor assured, voice sweet and smooth, "And to run some checks, if that would be possible. I understand you are worried yourself."

 _They never seek me out like this. Did I go too far?_ Worry growing in her heart, a short telepathic message called Alicia over. The girl clearly had a similar worry as she approached. "Just wondering, but how did you hear of her?"

"An associate told me," Alania explained. She put on a grin for Alicia. "Good afternoon. Would you like to come with me? This will only take a short amount of time."

Meryet mentally communicated her agreement, with the knowledge that disagreeing would be worse. So Alicia just nodded. "Be back soon," She promised to Meryet, before stepping out of the door. The door shut, and they were gone. Meryet let a curse out of her mouth, before storming back to the balcony.

Lucine still sat on the edge. Her eyebrows were raised as Meryet returned. "I heard," She said. Her tone was serious now. Hopping done, the girl stepped towards Meryet. "Is there some way I can help you?"

Meryet paused, a shudder running through her body. "I'm not sure I can do this anymore," She whispered, "I just don't know…"

"You can do it," Lucine didn't shy from embracing Meryet. "Don't give up." Her tone was now kind. "You've dealt with me longer than you have Meryet."

Meryet squirmed under Lucine's arms, but ultimately relaxed into them. "It's been a while," She whispered. Lucine knew what she was referring to.

Quietly, Lucine agreed. "It most certainly has,"


	13. All Advance, yet in Different Directions

**Sorry about the lateness of this one. Things should start to be quicker this next month. A lot of real life stuff has intervened over the past couple months and I'm just starting to work a schedule out.**

* * *

Eyes downcast stared idly. Her knees were pulled up to her chest. In front of her, the ground sounded in a steady pattern. Long footsteps carried the girl back and forth in front of Meryet. Her eyes strayed again and again to the clock.

Meryet just sat there, silently wishing things would be alright. Every avenue had already been pursued. The Inquisitorial office had been contacted, as did the central Adeptus office. No one could get in touch with Alania. She was either being covered, or had disappeared.

 _Or she's just a lord inquisitor, and has that sort of authority to make herself disappear in official terms._ Meryet thought sadly. There wasn't any point in pursuing this, lest further trouble arise. All she could do was wait for more information.

"Just twenty minutes more, then we'll go there ourselves." Lucine reminded, turning and walking back the same path she'd been going back and forth on for the past forty-five minutes. Meryet didn't respond. Both were tense.

The door was some twenty feet away, but Meryet crossed it in the blink of an eye, moving fast enough so that she couldn't stop. Barely a second after the knock rang out, she impacted against the wood, before hastily yanking it open. Her heart sank back down as she didn't see Alicia there. She certainly recognized the girl, however.

There stood the girl who had called herself Heredia. Meryet took a deep breathe, giving the girl a look that screamed "leave". But she did not seem ready to listen to that. Heredia asked in a polite tone, "May I come in?"

Meryet shook her head. Before she could tell the captain to leave, Heredia spoke first. "I understand that your friend has been taken. This isn't a social visit." Meryet stepped aside and allowed her in. Lucine's perturbed gaze lightened as she saw who it was.

"Oh, you," She commented dryly. Heredia bowed her head theatrically with a flourish of her hand. Meryet frowned at that as she shut the door.

"And how do you two know one another?" Heredia cocked her eyebrows at Lucine, expecting an answer.

Lucine sighed, "A girl who practically ignored me is someone I'd remember."

Heredia just shrugged. "What do you know about this?" Meryet demanded, dropping the other line of conversation. She stormed in front of the girl, staring her down.

The blonde nodded. Her hand extended, a small ball of darkness forming just above her palm. Heredia quickly knelt down and tapped the ball against the ground. The darkness expanded outwards and encompassed all three. Now, they stood in a small sealed space, with dark violet walls that glowed with just enough light to see by. She had been wearing another elaborate gown, but a brief cocoon of light around her replaced that with a uniform of red and black. "Though you know already, I'm not Heredia. Though I am a captain in the Blood Angels. This is just a seal to ensure we're not being observed, though they almost certainly know my presence already."

Meryet frowned, "What's going on here?"

"I'm a member of the Adeptus Magica General Oversight Committee. Not something talked about a lot, you see." Meryet vaguely recalled it being mentioned once or twice.

"I thought it was just a place to stick the High Lords' spies." Meryet admitted, "Though it seems to be more than that."

"Yes. It is in fact a front for the actual GOC. Our job is to coordinate surveillance and containment of all Adeptus Magica operations." Heredia grinned slyly at that, "It's members are widespread, technically anyone who knows the true purpose is only told because they're going to be inducted. It's not exactly a highly formal thing. It's more a network."

"So you're saying we're part of all this now?" Lucine asked with a sigh. Heredia nodded. "But how do you know we're trustworthy?"

"I've read both your records, and talked to you. Meryet is too dedicated to Alicia to turn traitor, and you're too busy enjoying yourself to turn traitor." The girl with the name of Heredia said, "There you have it. So, I should explain why I'm here."

She took a breath, and then started. "Lord Inquisitor Alania, as you might have guessed. It's not about what she's doing, it's really more her methods. We believe that she is taking rather drastic measures to solve a case rather important to her. It includes taking your Alicia, though I'm sure she'll be given back." The girl paused, thinking a moment. "I need your help here because you're both linked to Alicia. I can't insert myself without straight-out revealing my identity. That's not an option. I don't want her hiding all the evidence."

"What do you want us to do?" Meryet demanded, "How does this help Alicia?!"

Heredia raised a hand, ordering calm. "All you need to do is request to speak to Alania when she returns Alicia. Push for results, try to find specifics. If she doesn't give anything, that proves she has something to hide."

"What does she want with Alicia?!" Meryet's voice was louder this time.

"I don't know. But from what I heard, and this is merely pillow-talk," Heredia warned, eliciting a chuckle from Lucine, "But the moment Alania heard of Alicia's existence from Lena, that other inquisitor you went to see, she was already filing the papers for a serious investigation. This isn't just a quick visit. Had you refused, she probably would have been able to mount some serious charges just because of what she filed." Heredia paused, "We need to figure out why Alicia is important to her, and we need to do so quickly. Things are heating up next door in Nibelung, and that doesn't bode well."

"Heating up?" Meryet questioned.

"A unit of Dusk Servants went in a couple weeks ago. Taken out by the forces of one Astikai." Both Fallen Angels grimaced at the mention of the name. "A further report says they stumbled across traces of an exchange between two vessels, neither of which could have Imperial, but neither of which could have been xenos." She shook her head, "We have no idea what's going on, but this has to relate to Alania's actions somehow."

Meryet didn't quite understand the reasoning, but was more concerned about Alicia. "The Disappearance, you mean?" Lucine asked. Heredia looked at her and nodded.

"Yes, that." The Blood Angel confirmed. "She's been wildly pursuing an explanation for ten years." Meryet frowned, then remembered something she'd read during her time on the planet.

She stared at Heredia once again, "I'll help. If it means helping Alicia." Heredia looked to Lucine.

"For Meryet, we may not seem like it, but we're closer than most." Lucine explained.

"Thank you, both of you." Heredia said. "This is a matter bigger than all of us, I'm sure of it."

* * *

Reason had postulated that Alania's quick disappearance from the grid and from the vicinity of Meryet was only possible via teleporter, but she still had to be somewhere in the general area, give or take a few dozen kilometers. When it came time to meet, that guess was proven somewhat correct. Only somewhat, though. The meeting took place around the estimated area, but upon arriving, Meryet had found Alania's craft descending.

Just from the few seconds she'd already spent with her, both now and before, Meryet didn't like the air of the lord inquisitor. It was the air of a person who kept secrets. And not secrets that ought to be known either. No, it was the air of a person who kept secrets that shouldn't be shared.

It was safe to say that the reason of her discomfort was not so much the fact that Alicia had been yet again scanned for any abnormalities, nor the fact that the girl had been taken, but the fact that she had been taken by someone of such an atmosphere.

They sat stood across from each other, separated by only a few feet. Confronted by both the inquisitor and her trio of subordinates, the only saving grace was Lucine's presence beside Meryet, and the hope that Heredia, or whoever that girl truly was, would not allow this to go _that_ poorly.

Alicia stood just beside the lord inquisitor. Eyes downcast, Meryet could see the fear just from the trembling. Flicking her gaze back to Alania, she requested, "If you are finished, then could you please release her?"

The lord inquisitor just chuckled. "I never held her in the first place." But she tapped Alicia on the shoulder, and with a brief glance back at Alania, the girl strode over.

"May I ask why you came so urgently? Or was it merely a courtesy?" Meryet had memorized what to say. Though she was responsible for the lines, Heredia couldn't be linked to her right now, and even Lucine was worried about looking too suspicious, so Meryet had to rely all on herself.

Alania cocked an eyebrow, but downplayed any other reaction. "I heard, and I came. I didn't think it would be an issue."

"Well then, you can surely tell me what the difference is." Upon Alania's furrowed eyebrows, she explained, "Between what you did, and what others have done. I mean, she's been checked many times, I just want to know if there was anything non-standard that you did."

"You haven't even heard the results yet," Alania stated. She shrugged, "Not sure what the rush is, but it doesn't matter. Ultimately, nothing was found. And…I did nothing different." _She said that, but the pause says otherwise._ "Anyways, if there's nothing more you need, then I shall be on my way."

Meryet shook her head. "No, everything is fine." Alania nodded. She turned and stepped back into the craft, with the three right behind her.

"Thank you," Lucine called, as Meryet turned away with Alicia.

Hearing the doors shut, Meryet muttered under her breath. "Rather polite for you."

Lucine rolled her eyes. "Making her angry with us won't get us anywhere. Think rationally, please." Her tone contained not the slightest bit of humor.

Beside the car door, Meryet paused. A glare fell upon Lucine the next second, "Says the girl who considers one girl every night of a week rather boring." Lucine just smirked, and got into the driver's seat without another word.

Having assured Alicia was in, Meryet sat down beside her. The younger girl hadn't spoken a word the entire time. She found herself now held tightly to Meryet. "Are you alright?" the girl asked hurriedly. "Did she hurt you?"

Alicia lifted a hand to Meryet's shoulder, trying to give her some solace. "I…I'm fine," Alicia whispered. She didn't stray from Meryet's grip, but she whispered, "It was just the usual."

"Then why are you so scared?" Meryet wondered, "What's wrong?"

It took a few seconds for a reply. "She really believed something was wrong. I think it was just looking at me that led her to think that. I don't think it really had anything to do with evidence, or what she had discovered. She just looked at me, and I felt guilty." Alicia spoke like she was out of breath, even though she didn't want for air at all.

Meryet knew that there were a million justifications for that. _She's an inquisitor, it's her job. Maybe she's just suspicious like that. Maybe you were worried._ But she knew that none of those excuses were true. There was something more.

"Meryet, our friend's here." Lucine called from the front as the car smoothly slowed to a stop. The door opened, and Heredia quickly climbed in. She'd just been standing on the side of the country road.

"Good afternoon." She looked back and saw the two. "I assume all went well."

"As well as it could have gone," Meryet confirmed, reservation laced through her voice.

"The catch being?" Heredia wondered.

A beat. "Alania did nothing out of the ordinary, except look with absolute suspicion at Alicia. If we go by the knowledge we already have, then there is nothing wrong with Alicia. Therefore, Alania knows something about her that we don't, and it has nothing to do with any abnormalities." Meryet looked angrily at Heredia, "And something tells me you know the answer to that question."

Heredia shook her head. "If I did, I would never have come to you. I'm not playing any games. My cards are on the table. Alania is the one with the secrets." She was clearly hurt to some extent by Meryet's accusation, given that she quickly looked forwards again. "For the time being, we need to wait. From what I hear, Alania's preparing to go somewhere out of system, presumably Nibelung. I don't like the idea of following her, so we'll wait for her return."

"Until then?" Meryet asked.

"We just wait," Heredia replied matter-of-factly.

* * *

The sun shone down. Broken clouds allowed bright rays to touch the soft green grass. A cool wind ensured that the temperature never reached unreasonable levels, but instead sat at a perfect equilibrium. Tall healthy trees of dark green leaves and sturdy trunks surrounded the small clearing in a loose half-circle, casting long shadows on the ground.

In a circle ran two girls. Both the same age. Both young, around ten years. One with hair blonde and bright, approaching the color of gold if the light hit it at the right angle. The other with hair as black as night, the exact opposite of her companion. Bright smiles were on their faces, bodies filled with energy as they chased each other round and round.

The picture froze. Then they started moving again. A few seconds, then another freeze. The world started again, but jolted a few inches to the side. Then it froze entirely, taking on a grayed hue, devoid of color, and the image crackled with distortion.

A light shone down on a spot in front of the screen. The girl with the black hair sat there. She stared down at the ground, legs crossed. Then a light shone down behind. Whirling around, she looked into bright golden eyes, devoid of even pupils, which still contained a depth incomprehensible. Golden hair cascaded down the girl's back. A gentle smile was on her face.

"You shouldn't be here." The statement somehow struck fear down to Meryet's core.

Then the picture frame disappeared. The girl of black hair disappeared. The girl of blonde hair disappeared. Then the whole world faded to black.

* * *

She woke with a sudden gasp. Though, the rest of the world came quickly into focus. It only took a few more seconds of breathing and concentration to ensure that nothing else was out of the ordinary. The world was normal. Reality had not changed overnight.

"Restless?" A voice from the side wondered. It wasn't Lucine. Meryet looked with annoyance at the girl there, who reclined back in one of the room's chairs. Heredia had made herself comfortable when they came back, but Meryet didn't expect this.

"You could say that," Meryet muttered. She glanced to the side, seeing Alicia on the other side of the bed. Her eyes lingered there as Heredia spoke.

"Do you have a moment?" She asked. "I think we should talk, and I'd rather it not be disturbed by your companion." Meryet frowned, and looked questioningly at the girl.

"What about?" It was close to being a straight-up demand.

Heredia stood up. "Oh, you know. Important things." She walked for the door to the balcony. "Come along now." Meryet couldn't argue with that, so she slipped from the bed. Her usual clothes slipped on with a flash as she walked towards the balcony.

The moon wasn't in the clear sky tonight. On the beach below, the waves still crashed against the shore. Heredia leaned over the railing. Dressed in her usual formal attire, she requested, "Please shut the door on your way out." Meryet slid the glass door shut, and stepped forwards to stand beside her.

"Why not Lucine as well?" Meryet wondered, while her mind flashed back to the events of previous nights.

Heredia hesitated to answer that. "Your friend is not as invested as you are. She's trustworthy, but not so trustworthy to be included in this conversation." Meryet shook her head.

"For all you criticize Alania for her secrets, you seem very willing to keep some of your own. Perhaps not from me, but you keep secrets from others." She commented.

Heredia sighed. "If you were to accuse people for keeping secrets, you'd have to go on a long, long journey to accuse every single person in this universe, because we all do." Then she cracked a grin, "But such a response is clearly defensive, no?"

Meryet agreed with that. "People who say that are just more suspicious." She stated.

"I can't help but concur," Heredia stared off at the dark sky, "Well, I guess that's why we're having this conversation. I'd like to ensure that we can trust one another moving forwards." Meryet almost flinched as the girl stepped close to her, wondering with a raised brow, "What would you like to know?"

Meryet closed her eyes slowly, exhaling just as slow at the same time. "Can we not play games like this? Tell me everything you think I ought to know."

"I already have." Heredia shrugged, "You need to know nothing more in order to carry out this mission. This is merely courtesy." She turned away. Walking slowly to the other side of the balcony, she explained, "Really, I don't have to tell you any of this."

"Then why tell me at all?" Meryet asked.

"You clearly don't trust me." Heredia replied simply.

Meryet shook her head. "I trust you, not as much as you'd like, but you can't create something like trust out of thin air."

"I agree."

Temper flaring, Meryet sighed as she asked, "Then why are you trying to do just that?"

Heredia just laughed. "Awfully touchy tonight, aren't we?"

"I had a bad dream," Meryet offered as explanation.

"What was it about?" Heredia asked. Meryet rolled her eyes, then froze. Even Heredia turned around in shock as she realized the girl wasn't replying. "Meryet?" She asked, consternation on her features. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…" She admitted, "But…I just feel scared. Like I saw something I shouldn't have." Then she just shook her head dismissively.

"Don't dismiss dreams." Heredia told her. "They are often how truths are revealed to us, in ways we can't truly understand."

"Rather interesting you say that." Meryet commented, "Not quite what I'd expect from any captain."

"They always say that those who fall to the Curse see it coming in their dreams." Heredia spoke warily, as though mentioning it would bring that fate upon herself, "They say Lady Miki herself dreamed of the future." A pause that lasted too long to be anything but sad. "And here we are now."

Meryet was quiet. She turned around. She and Heredia stood facing opposite directions, both looking off into the night sky. "My name is Caelina." A beat. "That is my real name."

She walked to the door to step back inside. "But please, use Heredia for the time being."

Meryet heard, but didn't reply. Her eyes just continued to be lost in the vastness of the heavens above.

* * *

Fake moonlight flickered and twisted as the entire world shook for a few seconds. The rumbling faded, giving way to the same calm that had ruled previously. Ripples passed through the water that stretched out all around, getting smaller and smaller.

"We are already preparing to change course," Hjalma calmly stated. Columbine concealed all hints of fear. "We should reenter the warp within three hours." Despite the urge to burst out and tell the reality of the situation, Columbine knew it wouldn't do any good.

She was only happy with the fact that she was magical girl. Sleep hadn't come to her since her encounter some five days before, and not because her body refused to sleep. _That girl…I can't let her get into my mind again._ So far, only Ushio understood anything, and Columbine hoped it would stay that way.

Columbine took another sip of the tea in front of her, eyes briefly darting to Ingwe. That girl had warmed up to their hosts over the past several days, and seemed to have gotten under at least Hjalma's skin. The two were able to talk casually. Dvasia always acted distant and emotionless, never speaking unless spoken to. Even Tamashii was quiet. The atmosphere was that projected by people scared of spilling secrets. Nevertheless, none of them ever lost their composure.

Therefore, Columbine was somewhat surprised when Hjalma's eyes shot open wide. Instantly she switched to telepathic communication. _Another ship has been sighted. Inquisitorial markings. Bearing down on us, extreme range in forty-five minutes._ The blonde was already shooting to her feet.

 _To the bridge then,_ she immediately decided as she turned around. The others all stood and followed after her, the party racing through the ship. _Refusing all communication. They seem to know who we are._ Hjalma continued.

 _Interesting, she's telling me, rather than linking me right to the astrotelepath and navigator. I could ask, but that would just look suspicious._ Columbine thought. She kept quiet.

* * *

Their pursuers had already arrived by the time they got to the bridge. _Damn that Astikai!_ Hjalma shouted, _how'd she get so close?!_ Now they were trapped, the Inquisition to the front, and Astikai to the rear. It was obvious which was less threatening, but they were still a threat.

Columbine thought for a moment, attempting to find some way out. _They think we're going to Cyprus, maybe we-no, that wouldn't work. Well, we could try, but we only have one try. Going to Cyprus would be disastrous, Astikai knows we're going there. So maybe we try to get away._

The doors to the bridge rolled open. Heavy breathing accompanied a shout, "We can't turn away!" Ushio cried. Columbine spun around, seeing the girl gasp as her eyes found the signature of the Inquisition vessel. But the girl looked, trembling, at Columbine, "We have to go to Cyprus!"

"Why?!" Columbine shouted.

"We have to!" Ushio screamed. "I saw it! I just saw…we have to go to Cyprus, it's where something is. Something that's needed for this experiment. I didn't work anything out, but I had a dream, it had to have been a vision!" She was desperate. Columbine turned to Hjalma.

"Do you believe her?" Hjalma asked quietly.

"Do you?" Columbine retorted. A beat. Then the blonde nodded. "I do. It's the plan anyways." She didn't like it…but there was no way Ushio could be wrong. _She said we had to go into Nibelung, she remembered to go with these people. Ushio is on the right course to solving this. If we run away now, we lose our chance for a long time. Especially if this thing on Cyprus is mobile, we could lose it for good._

"Then we continue to Cyprus." Hjalma declared.

Columbine nodded. Then she glanced back to Ushio. Turning back to the screen, a sudden thought made her turn back. "You're a diviner," She suddenly said to the girl. Ushio nodded, perturbed. Columbine reached out with her mind, trying to connect with Ushio's. "Then link with me, and do your job."

Ushio understood, and fit her mind with Columbine's, ensuring instantaneous transfer of all information between the two. Effectively, their consciousness was now combined. A few seconds, and the two took a deep breath. Neither had hesitated in combining their entire selves with the other.

Columbine faced the front, looking out at the screen. _Hjalma, transfer to me all details of our current forces._ The information came in an instant. Overviewing it for only a few seconds, Columbine was already thinking. Another message to Hjalma connected her mind with all other girls on the ship.

 _Astikai knows that Ushio, and those present ten years ago, are on this ship. Therefore, she allowed us to live because she knows we are on course to solving this problem. So, she will not kill us as long as she continue to lead her on what she thinks to be the right path. I doubt she will hesitate to try and damage us, and if possible retrieve Ushio alive, myself likely included. Our main threat is therefore the Inquisition._ She was confident in her assertion, as Ushio run potentials through her divination and confirmed the Inquisition would do the most.

She took a deep breath. _We cannot know their numbers, but their ship outclasses this one, especially with the damages she has already suffered. So we need to escape, rather than fight them. We will begin turning to port as hard as possible right at the extreme range line. As we cross their T, we open fire with everything we have._ Long before she spoke every word, it had already been confirmed by Ushio. Unless the girl was wrong, the future was clouded, or someone else pulled the strings of fate, there was no way this plan could fail.

 _At that time, everyone excluding myself, Ushio, Dvasia, and Tamashii will enter a Thunderhawk and seek to board the Inquisition ship. Do not attempt to get inside. Teleport onto the hull, and attempt to damage their forward guns. They cannot pursue us if they try to turn to negate the damage you do, and if they try to come out to fight you, the battle will be on your terms._ The clock was moving fast. _Dvasia and Tamashii will remain here in case Astikai tries something, but mainly because there's a good chance we'll be boarded as well. Thirty-five minutes prior to warp entry, the others return. If we maintain the same distance, that will be the time needed to return plus some buffer time. We should reenter in two hours from the commencement of the battle._ Ushio confirmed everything. Only a five percent chance of serious error in the plan. Columbine knew that was a fair bit, but at the same time, she couldn't do better with what she had.

Columbine paused, considering any missing details. _I believe that is all. This plan shall be executed under my command. I understand none of you know me, but please, trust me._

She looked to Hjalma. The girl nodded in approval. _Thrity-five minutes to commencement. Prepare yourselves._ Hjalma and Ingwe left the bridge. Tamashii stepped forwards to stand behind the captain's seat. She looked at Ingwe with a grin. "That was a fine job. I can see why Astikai kept you around."

"Thank Ushio," Columbine suggested, doing that mentally. "She's the one who confirmed it all." Columbine knew Ushio suppressed a blush.

"You definitely seem to trust her a lot." Tamashii commented.

Columbine thought for a moment. _If it weren't for her…_ She thought solemnly. _Those sleepless nights would have been all that much harder._ "I suppose I do trust her. Linking our minds and all. But with things the way they are, we can't afford to hide anything from each other."

"That is true," Tamashii nodded in agreement. She didn't bite the bait in the slightest. "Though I wonder if you can hide anything, even being so close."

Columbine nodded. "There are certainly ways to hide things even in mental links. But people who are so close should really have nothing to hide anyways, right?" It was purely a jab at Tamashii and her compatriots. To say it was a truthful question would make Columbine out to be a hypocrite.

"I suppose you're correct. I hope we don't keep any secrets between ourselves." Tamashii said with a light grin.

 _Perhaps I'm just being paranoid. Maybe they have told me everything, and they are just foolish idealists._ But Columbine didn't exactly believe that. Her eyes turned to the screen, watching the clock tick down. Any second, it would all begin.

* * *

Bright beams of light tested the shields, sending the barest of shudders through the vessel's body. From the offended vessel came barrages of lance and cannon in reply. The first volley of torpedoes was already streaking through the void, accompanied by the first waves of craft.

Hjalma's ship, going by the name of _Wellgunde_ , also released her load of smaller fighters and bombers, the single Thunderhawk carrying the strike team splitting off to the side. The intention was to bait any hopeful frighter craft into seeking an easy kill, only to be pounced upon by the waiting members of the _Wellgunde's_ force.

However, given the losses suffered from Astikai's attack, it seemed that they were outnumbered. _Don't try to protect the ship, just drive through. We can't win a battle of attrition. Either we knock them out in a single punch, or they knock us out._ Columbine explained, repeating the orders over the vox to the pilots as well.

"About the torpedoes, ma'am?" The captain called. A human, he clearly believed in what Hjalma was doing. He didn't speak with the fear most humans on traitor vessels had, fear of those on their own ship.

"Standard point-defense. Don't change course for them. We can't afford to dawdle, and if the attack goes well, they should only get two volleys off." Columbine ordered. Ushio's wounds from previous words still stung in her mind, but she still confirmed that was the better course of action.

Columbine ran her eyes over the evolving tactical map. The groups of fighters were now clashing, twisting and turning as they locked into battle with one another. Yet a full squadron of the enemy made it past, unhindered. Their lack in numbers was showing. At least in the eyes of the enemy.

"Wait until they are beginning their attack runs. Then launch all remaining fighters." Not everyone had been deployed, and while those stranded out were certain to suffer, it would be trivial compared to the suffering that would result from a battle between the full strength of the two forces. Again, a battle of endurance wasn't one that Columbine could win.

A bridge officer called out as the torpedoes approached. Almost all were destroyed, only two surviving to impact against the shields. Their damage was trivial. Meanwhile, the Inquisitorial vessel was suffering from the steady broadsides it received. Astikai's ship was silent, merely following along without the slightest hint of intervention.

Like moths to a flame, the enemy fighters gathered and prepared to unleash their payloads as they darted between the storm of point-defense fire that flew out towards them. Yet many strayed off course into the banks of shells and beams as fresh predators appeared on their tails. Those that didn't dodge their pursuers to be blasted away were downed by them, exploding into bright balls of flame. A single pair escaped, and soon found themselves overtaken and overwhelmed by the pack of fresh fighters.

Into the ongoing dogfight did these new craft plunge, seeking to change the course of a battle already decided. An awkward shape had been assumed by the fighting craft, that of a large oval, but without anyone in the middle, only on the edge. For in the great empty space streaked the volleys of the two battling warships, blasts that could reduce a fighter to its atoms by merely grazing it.

So far, the battle was not necessarily going in their favor, but it was certainly stagnating. That's all Columbine needed. "If we can maintain this status, and buy some time for them to hit at the enemy, then we can win. Warp entry is one hour." She looked at the Thunderhawk's position. "They'll have ten minutes, maybe a bit more, to attack." She sighed, "They could take longer, but…" Columbine thought of Ingwe, "We can't allow that to happen." _Come back right on time,_ she ordered Hjalma, _unless there's something big._

At the same time, Columbine noticed the trio of craft streaking in towards their own vessel. _As expected, they'll be boarding as well._ She looked to Tamashii. The girl was already moving from the bridge, her companion right behind. Now it was merely Columbine and Ushio on the bridge, discounting the navigator who currently rested in preparation for the impending warp entry.

The ship shook once again, but Columbine didn't care. Shields were holding at a comfortable sixty percent. If they continued to drop then there'd be problems, but that issue should be solved soon enough. "Initiate the warp engines," She said to the captain, "That'll block about a third of the ship." Teleporting near warp energy was a deathtrap for teleporters who couldn't handle it due to a special ability of their magic.

 _Where are they coming?_ She asked Ushio?

 _They're going to strike for the bridge. Or somewhere in the center of the ship. Can't tell anything else,_ Ushio said flatly.

Columbine relayed the information to Tamashii. She couldn't plan for their boarding if they couldn't know exactly where they'd teleport into. _Sorry,_ she sent back to Ushio privately, _about what I said._

 _If you've things to hide, then I'm sure it's for a good reason._ Ushio replied, referring to the multiple blocked sectors of Columbine's mind. Of course, all of Ushio's mind that was blocked as a result of her sealing was still blocked off, but that was understandable, to an extent.

Columbine realized her armor wasn't on, and with a thought it materialized. Ushio did the same. _If they get in here, save yourself._ She told Ushio, _of course, if they get past Tamashii and Dvasia, there's no way we can win, but try anyways._

The Thunderhawk from the _Wellgunde_ had gotten into range, but that meant the enemy was in range as well. _Found them,_ a few seconds after the teleportation occurred, the call came from the astrotelepath. Shrinking her range down was hard, but it worked.

 _Moving to engage, we should prevent them from accessing the bridge._ Tamashii called. Columbine sent back an affirmation, turning her mind to the larger battle.

"Break off," She sent to the fighter pilots, understanding that the meat grinder that it had become was chewing hers up faster than it was theirs. To the best of their ability, they started to break off from the great oval, and pull back to their mothership. The enemy seemed just as eager to do that.

The next volley of torpedoes was right on time, this time only one made it through. Once again, it didn't have the slightest effect. _Attack is successful. No one is countering. Lances going up…now._ Columbine couldn't see the explosions from so far away, but the fact that two less lances hit the shields meant that they had been successful.

 _Another team split off. Should we pursue? Six in both teams. Twelve total._ Tamashii asked.

Weighing the possibilities, she asked Ushio. _Dvasia should be able to pursue the others, provided we help Tamashii, so that she can then give support._

 _Understood._ Columbine flashed her bolter into her hand before turning to the door. The order was sent out, and Ushio reluctantly followed as they moved through the halls at a sprint.

She kept monitoring the reports from Ingwe, which showed that the attack was a complete success. By the time Columbine reached the battle itself, two less lances were firing.

She heard the sounds before she reached the corridors were the combat raged. Ensuring her weapon was properly enchanted, she took point and peeked around the corner. Her superhuman eyesight deconstructed what to a human was a series of blurs into a fast-paced battle between Tamashii and two others.

With only bare hands, she fought against a spear and axe, handling most likely telepathic attacks as well. _Behind you,_ Columbine said. Tamashii allowed her feet to touch the floor, and lowered herself with a low kick at one of her opponent's legs.

The bolter barked as a stream of fire poured into the hallway, rounds making their way past one girl's guard to blow chunks of flesh from her body. To her credit she barely reacted as her forearm dropped to the ground, the flesh and bone in-between that and the shoulder disintegrated, and as her guts spilled out a hole in her side.

The other intervened, her axe spinning about to block the shots, before the girl rolled backwards. As she hit the ground, a bright beam of light came from further down. Columbine could barely dodge, and her right arm was only saved from the shot by her armor.

Ushio was clearly worried, but wasn't going to run now. Columbine right beside her, the blonde said, _together._ Ushio nodded. Columbine leapt and rolled across the open space to the next corner as Ushio stepped out and opened fire. Tamashii twisted around every shot sent out by her comrades, continuing to launch strike after strike against her twin opponents, the spear-wielding girl keeping herself together with magic long after her body died.

The wounded girl took a lightning-fast full body kick to the stomach, and went flying back down the corridor. But the axe-wielder took the chance to slip past Tamashii, putting herself in between the girl and her supporting fire. Seemingly a foolish move, Tamashii soon understood why it was done. A trio of glowing arrows and a volley of machine gun fire streaked towards her.

She stumbled back as her armor was struck, stepping over the bloody ruins of the axe-wielder's legs. The rest of her body wasn't present not because of its destruction, but due to the teleporter that now deposited her at the other end of the hall. _None down so far. Dvasia's taken one, but they're pressing her hard, can you hold here?_ Tamashii asked.

 _We can._ Columbine affirmed. _Go. The strike team is returning. Enemy fire is stopped so far. Not long till they fix everything, but we have the time we need._ She ducked out and sprayed another burst as Tamashii slid back and turned the corner.

 _I know the way,_ she assured Columbine, _pull back the bridge if needed. We'll be fine._ Columbine nodded as Ushio sent another few shots down. Columbine tossed her bolter to Ushio. The weapon weighed as much as a child's toy gun, and aim didn't matter in this space.

Columbine hands started to glow with blue energy. _It's my turn,_ she told Ushio. _Cover me._ She smirked as she said, _I know I'm a bit hypocritical, but a shot to the back from an ally is worse than keeping a secret in my opinion._

Right as the spear-wielder rushed down the hall, she was joined by another girl, and this was the teleporter. Neither were armored, being merely Inquisitorial agents. The teleporter carried a pair of long knives.

Time didn't stop as Ushio rolled into the hall, leaping up with a spear to one's throat. Rather, another fragment of her conscious mind focused on the ongoing state of the space battle. Assisted by the point-defenses of the _Wellgunde,_ her fighters were holding off the enemy, and trying to chase down the Thunderhawks that had carried the boarding party.

From the enemy vessel, Hjalma and Ingwe's force was returning at top speed. Only thirty-six minutes to warp entry. Columbine knew that they were technically losing, despite what they'd done. The shields of the vessel shook again as the Inquisition turned and fired broadsides. _Good, at least no more torpedoes._ Only the lances had been knocked out by the strike team.

Despite all this thought, it happened at the same time Ushio's strike was parried by the spear, before she raised her leg and kicked out. A knife slid down the protective field around her armor, before Ushio leapt up with the other leg and spun to kick the teleporter. She of course teleported away, but a timely sight from Ushio led to the blade of Columbine's hand coming down right about the girl's shoulder blade.

Her hand cracked against the girl, crunching the bone. A few shots from Ushio gave Columbine the chance to grab the girl's forehead, slamming her back against the wall before pushing herself flat beside her to avoid the oncoming fire. The teleporter dropped to the ground with wide eyes, her mind briefly overloading as it flooded with everything she had ever seen.

 _Where's the sixth?_ Columbine had to wonder, before her question was handily answered. A loud _pop_ signaled the breaching of her armor's defensive field, followed by the screeching sound of metal being rent apart. She grunted as a pain came from her gut, where she found a blade drawing blood.

The blade wasn't something she saw, though, nor where the eyes of the girl who gutted her, though they had to be barely a foot apart. No, that girl didn't show up at all. Columbine grabbed for her, but she had to somehow dodged. The blonde leapt the side, swinging out in all directions, only for the spear-wielder to ram her point home in Columbine's knee, before sending a kick into her stomach that sent her against the wall, giving her a full view of the corridor.

The guard around her throat was pierced, giving way to the softer, yet flexible, suit beneath. Her airflow was severed, and blood gushed from the wound as a long cut was made. Both girls presumably ducked aside as bright flash came from down the corridor. Columbine had the awareness to raise an arm and stop the arrow from impaling her head, but she could barely roll away before the machine gun ripped up the undamaged leg of hers.

Ushio slowly walked backwards, keeping up a steady rate of fire as Columbine tried to get a handle on the wounds that covered her body. _Give me the gun!_ She called, and the bolter landed in her hands. The resulting volley of fire ripped through empty space as she pulled back with Ushio.

 _Got three now, only three left._ Tamashii said. Columbine's condition was made clear to her, and she changed her tone. _This was a trap. Pulling back now. Get back to the bridge. We'll be there in a few minutes._

At the moment, the returning shuttle was only five minutes away. But at the moment, that was quite a long time. _They have to know that they can't keep this pace up…wait a minute, what about the third Thunderhawk. Two teams, split between three craft-no!_

She changed her orders. _Tamashii, get to the engines with Dvasia. There's a third team. They're going to go for the engines! We can hold here, at least until the others get back._ Astikai still did nothing. _She's probably laughing at us as we scurry around._ Columbine thought, knowing full well that Astikai would have seen all this coming. _Much as I hate it, I've a lot to learn from her._

As they made a fighting retreat through the tight corridors, calling for every door between them and the enemy to be shut, Columbine wondered how much of a gap there really was between Astikai and her. _I don't actually know her age. She has to be a couple decades older than I, but I don't think it can be that much._

As soon as a sufficient number of doors had been shut, the two sprinted like the Grand Inquisitor herself was behind them. They made it through the bridge doors, and the long series of bulkheads leading there were all shut. "That should hold for about five to ten minutes, depending on their power." The man explained, "Though it could be less."

"Thank you," Columbine replied. The others would be disembarking now. Warp entry was just thirty minutes now. To that team, she sent, _Split into two groups. Four move to assist Tamashii and Dvasia. The others move back to the bridge and trap the enemy force currently headed here. There are nine in number._ The three left alive from Tamashii and Dvasia were moving back to assist their comrades. _Please hurry,_ she added at the end, understanding the grave nature of the situation at the moment.

 _Understood,_ came the reply. Columbine listened to the voices of the others besides Hjalma and Ingwe. She realized that they were already warming to her.

 _I suppose I have some worth to me after all,_ she thought. She whispered a prayer to her god, but was nearly interrupted by the call from Tamashii.

 _Encountered four enemies. I think I recognize one of them as the Lord Inquisitor of the Nibelung Sect, though I can't be certain._ Tamashii sent an image of the girl, and Columbine confirmed that.

 _Damn,_ she thought, _what's she doing here? Why aren't they going after Astikai?_ Taking a deep breath, Columbine looked to Ushio. Privately, _what are the odds now?_

 _Seventeen percent chance of serious failure._ Ushio seemed afraid to say the words.

Columbine nodded, knowing where she had gone wrong. _We thought too much about their ship, when that wasn't a threat at all. But this isn't necessarily terrible. We have them trapped here, and if we can eliminate the force at the bridge, then we might be able to solve this._ A bit more hopefully, she said, _the other option is that they leave first, but that seems less likely by the minute._

That was the reason she was surprised when Tamashii called. _They just left, definitely a special teleporter._ A report from a clairvoyant with Hjalma confirmed that the others had teleported out as well. The enemy fighters were turning away, the entire force smoothly retreating to their mothership.

The feeling amidst them was surreal, the fact that the entire enemy force had just packed up and left when they had the greatest momentum. Speaking to the entire force, she proposed, _is there another motive, perhaps? Do they have some other reason to just leave?_ It didn't seem likely, not something like this.

 _Scared of Astikai? She's definitely a threat. Perhaps they're in over their head._ Hjalma proposed.

 _But Astikai did nothing, and she could have destroyed them. Unless she's just toying with all of us, there's something strange going on here._ Columbine said. She shook her head. _I don't like this at all. But all we can do at the moment is get out of here. We can't trade broadsides with them, not with the damage we've suffered. Enter the warp as fast as possible._

She repeated the order to the captain, who was already starting to unlock the ship. It was soon confirmed that all intruders were gone. _They were headed to the engine room,_ Tamashii pointed out, making her way back from that sector, _their intention was to hamstring us, but perhaps we were more than they could handle. However…they were strong. I think we would have won in the end, but it was up in the air for a little bit back there._

A bit of a pause preceded her continuing. _Actually…this lord inquisitor seemed interested in Dvasia and I. As if they left because she saw us, not because she fought us. I can't say why, however._ Columbine knew it wasn't the moment to seek answers to her questions, but if it had been, the nature of those two girls would have been questioned.

The warp engines were starting to engage, so telepathic communication was shut down just to be safe. The Inquisitorial vessel had pulled off, and was also preparing to enter the warp. Astikai moved silently along behind the _Wellgunde._

As the others began to arrive back at the bridge, Columbine realized that there was a new respect for her. "Thanks for that," Hjalma said, "We certainly did a lot to them. Hopefully it'll at least scare them off." Though her tone was solemn. They all were.

They had won this battle, but they knew for a fact that the next step they were going to take was right into the lion's den. As the ship rumbled while it plunged into the warp, they knew that they would not emerge till they came to Cyprus.

* * *

In my life up till that point, I hadn't seen many people be particularly violent. Angry, certainly. Annoyed, every day. Sometimes even furious. But even furious anger has a subtly different appearance from that of someone who truly wishes harm on another. You can have fury at someone, and still perhaps remember that violence isn't the best answer.

Truthfully, in my experience, the only people I'd seen be violent were Aurelia and myself. And that was-well, twice. So perhaps this wasn't new. That being said, Mariana managed to add a new meaning to the term, something I really hadn't encountered before.

Her face changed ever so subtly, from her usual cold or aloof demeanor to something not-quite like that of a murderer. I say not-quite because murderers, at least if you'd ask me, don't look so utterly assured of their righteousness. And the determination, that's another thing that's different. Murderous, righteous, and so determined the girl would have walked into the Eye of Terror. That was the best way to describe the gaze Mariana offered Elliana when she came to return Catarina and to take Priscilla.

Priscilla was just another girl going in, but Mariana treated it as though the girl was to be tortured. I was still quite tired, but it seemed that my condition was the best of them all. The others could barely stay awake or move, while after only a short amount of time I could at least sit up straight. Due to this, I had the pleasure of listening to Priscilla attempt to play peacekeeper between the two, and despite Elliana's complaints that the process would be disrupted by such a strong emotional connection in the same room, Mariana was having none of it.

A part of my found it humorous, but another part of me recognized the fact that Mariana really did care. That the girl would most likely walk without hesitation anywhere in the universe and outside of it for the sake of her love. Sad, perhaps, but certainly rather endearing. I couldn't comment on it. I'd never experienced anything of the sort. And with the way things were, I doubt I ever would.

Love was never something I'd had on my mind. All the plans of the future that made their way through my head before I contracted were centered entirely on myself. Love, if it ever came up, was just a side deal, something that could perhaps interest me, but not something I'd really care about.

Falling in love wasn't a plan I had. It's not even some sad sob story to gain affection or build tension. Just the truth. The entire, whole truth. As Aurelia lay asleep against my shoulder, closer to me than I would have liked, I wondered what her plans were. From the sound of things, she had more experience in the real world than I did. So perhaps she had some better idea of how it worked. Maybe she even left someone behind.

But I'd learned that speculating too much on the nuances and thoughts of Aurelia never lead to anything good. Assumptions and judgments were what hurt the two of us, but of course, well-thought out guesses and examinations resulting from those ruminations had the same effect. In truth, if we maintained this steady equilibrium, everything was fine. If anything disrupted it, I was sure things would fall come falling apart.

Strangely enough, that girl who was somehow important to me wouldn't let me go alone with the two of them. Even as Mariana stood close by Priscilla, I could tell she was off somewhere, watching. I caught a glimpse of her around a corner. Not for a second did I doubt Mariana having knowledge of her presence.

But the loyal protector was surprisingly peaceful. Apparently some conversations had occurred that slipped my notice, or occurred outside my realm of perception. Though I knew I could certainly read minds and intercept telepathic messages, I didn't feel like making such a gross violation of privacy. So it was certain that the two communicated in private about private matters.

The day after that information was first shoved into our minds, the effects were still obvious in all of us. Sleep came quickly, but was restless and filled with strange dreams. Not nightmares, but things that didn't leave one well-rested and prepared in the morning. Luckily, Germana understood this, and wasn't working us as hard, though we did start to work through the concepts placed in our heads. Apparently beginning to understand them would help our minds process them better. I was pleased to be finally learning new things, so I enjoyed the lessons.

Not everyone was of such a mindset though. Priscilla showed that clearly to me. I had to sometimes wonder why she joined the knights. Her demeanor never differed from that of a fragile porcelain doll, something that ought to be protected and treasured, not put right in the line of fire. She couldn't have been forced by Mariana, simply because the girl would never make her lover do anything. An assumption, certainly, but not one made without due cause. Educated guess, honestly.

Perhaps it was just the physical nature of the work. Her dedication was clear, but I don't think she was exactly prepared for the strain. I remembered Germana's words about the reason for all of this, and supposed that she had a point. While Priscilla could simply use her magic and surpass the greatest of humans, having a strong base to build on would be better in the long run. _The long run._ None of us really considered that.

I don't think there was any thought given to the eventuality of actually being on the battlefield, fighting actual opponents. We were content merely learning, and Germana never tried to remind us of that. I thanked her silently, for I never wished to consider the fact myself.

Mariana, though, probably considered it every single day. I sat on the grass with Priscilla, making small talk, and she was there watching with her piercing glare. My eyes shot from her back to the one she protected as Priscilla went on. "-not my kind of thing, in all honesty. Before, I was never physically active, at least nothing more than walking to school and the like, so I suppose I'm just not used to so much strain." She was always tired, but I wondered if there was something more than just the exercises and practice that caused that.

I looked up at the sky, and my hand came to my face to shield it from the sun. "Well, I wasn't ever active either. It's not that bad, but I suppose different people have different limits." I said. I felt needles crawl down my spine as I realized it could be hurtful to Priscilla. Though Mariana was nice enough, I swore that at the drop of a hat she'd wring my neck.

Priscilla shrugged. She didn't mind, it seemed. "Well, I've never been strong." Her voice went to a low tone as she stared down at the ground. "I…I have." Her eyes started to widen. Something came in between the two of us.

Mariana bent down to one knee and wrapped her arms around the girl. Without looking at me, she said quietly yet sternly, "Please leave, if only for her sake." I listened. While striding quickly away, I heard a meek voice call me.

"Vergiana. I'm sorry." I paused. A search for the right words found nothing, so I went with what I thought was right.

As I looked back at her, I replied, "It's not a problem." I bit my tongue before I could say anything more. Curiosity would kill me one of these days, for the next thing I would have uttered was _"Would you like to talk about it?"_

Our conversations with Catarina and Alliana were beginning to be more and more productive. Mariana still preferred to be alone with the girl when eating, and none of us wanted to intrude on that relationship. The topics moved steadily from discussions of our various squabbles, and more to what we thought about various topics. It was rather pleasant.

Rather than engaging in debates of theology, philosophy, and the nature of our existences, we were able to discuss more amiable topics, like our favorite books. However such discussions inevitable alienated one of us, given her limited ability to experience such things.

Aurelia always kept quiet, perhaps giving her input every now and then, but never as much as I figured she would have liked. However, she didn't seem to care in the slightest, being perfectly happy to sit back and listen while she didn't speak a word to any of us.

I knew it wasn't my fault, but I still somehow considered myself responsible whenever she went quiet. _We're…friends, right? Shouldn't I being trying something?_ That being said, I never dwelled on the matter for long.

We had all learned to be happy. I would have liked to be closer to Aurelia, but I felt a part of that was just a vain hope generated by the situation. A few days after that night, I didn't think about it on a regular basis. It was just another thing that had happened between us. We both wanted to pretend it hadn't ever happened.

Luckily, the business of our everyday activities generally tore our minds from the subject. We didn't drift farther apart, and I think we were slowly getting close, albeit centimeter by centimeter, but we were getting closer.

* * *

Even though the thick walls prevented me from seeing anything outside, I got the distinct impression that we were going very fast. The entire Thunderhawk rumbled with the roar of the engine, and I could faintly feel the strain of the incredibly high speed.

Everyone was seated, even the staunchest of the twenty of us having trouble standing up straight. Germana though didn't even hold one of the handles hanging from the ceiling. She just stood nonchalantly by the ramp, as if there wasn't anything to worry about.

I wasn't sure what we were doing. None of us were sure what we were doing. The Thunderhawk arrived, we were ordered to get in, and here we were. I realized it had been about a week and a half since we first arrived, a little more than a week since that night with Aurelia. Things were moving fast, it seemed. Of course, that depended on what we were actually doing tonight.

No one had asked. I think it was a mixture of not caring, fear, and the simple knowledge that Germana would tell us when she felt like telling us, or when we needed to know. Aurelia sat beside me. Strangely enough, we were in those same spots we were in the first day. I couldn't remember thinking about it when getting in, but Aurelia was ahead of me, so perhaps it was her choice.

I was broken from my thoughts by Germana. _Listen up._ She ordered telepathically, to avoid shouting over all the conversations. All our eyes focused on her in an instant. "We've given you the grief cubes you need, we all need them. But they have to come from somewhere, and that's where the PDG plays a role." She hit the open switch for the Thunderhawk's ramp.

Suddenly the wind howled furiously as gusts of cold air came roaring into the tight compartment. I instantly shivered, but Germana just kept going. "They hunt these things called Wraiths, creatures born of mankind's emotions. Somewhat like daemons, but not quite the same. Certainly easier to kill. "

"Every night, the PDG, Planetary Defense Girls, hunt these wraiths to collect the grief cubes they leave behind upon destruction. It's a fragile system, but it's a vital one. Tonight, in Larissa and Kavala, the PDG won't be operating. That's because you all are stepping in for them. You will hunt down the wraiths over the course of the night. It's that simple. That's all you have to do, nothing more." We all lurched as the Thunderhawk suddenly began to brake.

"This is to practice the use of your magic. You'll be operating in your squads of ten each. Do your best. Squad One, we're coming up on Larissa right now, I suggest you all stand up and prepare to go." We all looked around with expressions of hesitation. None of us wanted to be the first. We were still wrapping our heads around it when another shout from Germana got us to move.

We unstrapped ourselves and hastened to the front. Well, hastened is inaccurate. Struggled as fast as possible is the better word. Somehow I ended up near the front, and my stomach flipped over as I saw the ground only hundreds of feet below racing by in a blur.

"Standard atmospheric combat speed," Germana commented, "These things can pull about twice this, but that's really just for escaping the atmosphere." Upon realizing that her proximity to me meant that her words were probably aimed at me, I nodded with a light smile, head still spinning at the sight of the ground.

Then suddenly there were buildings, the edges of a city. "Alright, just a few seconds more." Germana indicated to the distance, where the center of the city was. "Get ready."

I looked her with surprise. "We're not slowing down," I commented. Germana just nodded with a sly grin.

"Precisely. Magic can nullify any fall whatsoever. Seems to be built in or something. Just will it to happen." She gestured out the door. "Now jump."

My eyes went wide. A sort of nervous chuckle emerged from my lips, a part of me maybe thinking it was a joke. Then the world was spinning around, the cold wind biting at me, and the realization that nothing was directly beneath me came to my mind. It was then that I discovered that I had a fear of falling. Not really a fear of heights, but the fear of that space in between the fall and the time you landed, that gap between the moment you actually realized your life was about to end, and the moment it actually did. Despite the knowledge that I was a magical girl, my body wasn't quite yet used to manipulating that power.

The slight pain in my back told me that I had been rather forcefully ejected from the Thunderhawk, and I caught vague glimpses of other forms falling from the speeding aircraft. I saw that I was falling towards the top of one of the smaller buildings in the city, of course still hundreds of feet in the air. It was the middle of the night, so I doubted anyone would see me plummeting from the sky.

I hoped they didn't. I wasn't exactly representing the Jewel of the East well with my twisting and tumbling. The grey of the building was rushing up faster and faster towards me, and every second I told my mind to catch myself. I tried to aim my legs towards the roof, but I was too scared to look down.

There it was, I caught it out of the corner of my eye. Rushing up towards me-oh by the Goddess I was going to die right now please save me oh no.

The impact felt like I feel from a height of about an inch. A blue circle of light spread out around me as I hit the roof, and all the momentum just disappeared. My eyes were wide in complete shock. I stumbled to my feet as adrenaline coursed through my body, to find the others falling in a short ling ahead of me.

On the other edge of the wide roof I was on, Aurelia landed. She was a bit more graceful, landing on her feet, but I took that to mean she had jumped out of her own volition. I looked at her, tentatively walking over. She glared at me. "Just jump," She spat, "It's better for you that way."

I rolled my eyes. "Acting all smug, I was the one kicked out of a speeding plane!" I snapped with a ferocious glare.

Aurelia just turned her back to me, surveying her surroundings. "She pushed you out, it was just forceful." As if correcting me on minutiae was the end all be all statement.

"Fine," I muttered, looking around the area myself. The adrenaline still in my body suddenly felt that much more appropriate now. My eyes ran over the whole of the city, and here and there I spotted a strange dark cloud. It distorted my vision, but I could see distinct shapes moving throughout the darkness. Shapes that looked like large humans. There were quite a few of them.

"I think I found our targets," I muttered to Aurelia. She turned around and faced in the same direction as I.

"Indeed," She agreed.

A message went to the whole group from Catarina. Apparently she was itching for a chance to lead. _Please gather around me. Firing shot into the air for reference, let's establish a general chain of command, please._ Her tone was authoritative, but ultimately polite. I complied, but I figured Aurelia did only because I did.

The bright arrow shot off into the night sky, and we converged on the spot where she was. Lower down amongst the skyscrapers, Aurelia and I arrived a little later than the rest, given our distance from Catarina's location.

Alliana didn't speak a word in protest as the girl just took over. She pointed in the direction of the wraiths. There lies the enemy. I believe Germana when she spoke of their ease, but we still must be careful due to our inexperience. Please, listen to what I say. Stick with your partner as well. For now, we will split into three groups. Four and four will split to the right and left and attack the wraiths from both sides. In the center, on the highest possible vantage point, will be Priscilla and Mariana. Theoretically, Priscilla's weapon has a long range, so she will provide support. Mariana will be there because of the previous order. " She paused, "Do you all understand?"

We didn't reply in a remotely military fashion. We nodded, some just shrugging as if to indicate that they had nothing better to act on. But something held us together. Maybe it was Catarina's confidence, maybe it was our common situation, maybe it was something else entirely. But the fact is that we were approaching some kind of working together.

The collective group flashed for a second our weapons materialized, and then we were moving. Aurelia and I leapt together, with Catarina and Alliana following just behind us. The wraiths were gathered about a mile away, so it was a bit of a trek. However, we seemed perfectly capable of clearing dozens of feet with every jump we made.

I held the sheath of my katana tightly to my side as we went from one building to the next. My goal was to not look down, or even think about the fact that hundreds of feet below were streets with people on them. I wonder if they noticed. I never notice any girls running about at night, so perhaps we were just invisible.

Then my eyes caught the distinct traces of that same mist that seemed to shroud the wraiths from our sight. _Perhaps it blocks the sight of humans entirely? Strange why the creatures would want to hide._ But there wasn't any time for those thoughts. I understood also that this was the first time I would be going into battle. An actual battle. Against opponents supposedly easy, but still.

The trauma of that night with Aurelia flashed back to me. It had a happy ending, but the experience wasn't something that was pleasant to recall. However, it gave me some hope. If I could survive that, then I had to be able to survive this.

 _Hey, are you worried?_ I heard Aurelia ask me. Funny that she ask me.

 _Yes,_ I admitted, albeit only after a long hesitation. A quarter of a mile away. They had seen us, and were moving. The separate groups had converged into one large horde. _And you?_ It was only polite of her to reply.

 _Not at all._ Something told me that this wasn't some lie put on to make herself look tougher. But from the way she just dismissively threw the words out, I wondered if it wasn't bravery at all. Rather, it appeared to be more just a lack of caring.

So her typical aloofness didn't change even with a battle approaching. Even as we closed on the wraiths, Aurelia didn't change her attitude. I swear she could lose a limb and just keep on treating the whole world like a bore.

A thin bright shot lanced through the dark sky. Nothing was struck by it, so it had to have dissipated. Its origin appeared to be Priscilla. _Out of range,_ she explained. Good thing Mariana was a teleporter. In the distance, a couple blinks of light showed the two slowly moving forwards.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my own and threw me upwards. I landed roughly on the concrete. Without even realizing it, my hand was going to my sword, almost withdrawing the blade. Aurelia just spun her pistol around one finger, giving me a look of disapproval. "Look forwards," She said, taking a few steps before bending her knees to jump again.

I frowned, looking forwards to see nothing but the approaching wraiths. About to make contact, but that explained nothing. "Idiot," Aurelia groaned at my look of confusion, "Apologies for stopping you from slamming into the wall." She flashed her other pistol into her hand and leapt away. I hastily followed, embarrassed at my lack of focus.

The wraiths were clearer now. I could see them as great robed figures. Faces distorted, their bodies showed pale skin and bones. I wonder what they were really made of. A single bright bullet enlightened me, as a shot from Priscilla blasted one of the creatures into a cloud of miasma. They seemed worthless as enemies.

They were just a few rooftops away now. Heads flashed bright as energy coalesced, and I knew their attack was coming. My hand went to my sword, and with a slight motion it was drawn. Aurelia and I leapt into the air. My companion started firing right as twisting and turning beams of violet energy shot from the wraiths' heads.

I swung my sword wildly, realizing that there wasn't any chance of dodging in midair. A few beams deflected off the blade, but the rest didn't strike. I realized that I _had_ moved. Just thinking about it enough had made it happen. We landed, and the wraiths swept in towards us. It only took a few shots from Aurelia to destroy one, and only a few buildings away, Catarina and Alliana were engaged.

The creatures were about twice my height, probably a bit more. Jumping forwards, almost stumbling at the same time, I swung out wildly at the thing in front of me. A loud scream echoed through the air as it was cut apart by my sword. _These things really are a joke,_ I realized, almost laughing. The situation wasn't really funny, but it was more the sense of relief that flooded through my body as I realized that this wasn't very difficult at all.

I leapt to the next one, and it died quickly. Aurelia kept on firing, dodging around the blasts of beams when they came. I leapt in the air, striking one in the head, turning and slicing another one apart. I wondered how this was supposed to be difficult at all.

 _There's something different coming,_ Aurelia said. I fell to the ground beside her, before running towards another wraith.

 _What is it?_ I asked, remembering her clairvoyancy. Another barrage scattered off my blade, and I finished off the offender with a few slashes.

 _Maybe some other wraith, can't be sure._ We told the others, but nobody had any other ideas. Aurelia sent the image to us, and I instantly began to fill up with fear again. This was dressed in the same robes as the others, but floated above the ground with its legs crossed. A fiery spear was held in its right hand, while its head was a glowing four-pointed star.

It was coming for Aurelia and I. As if on cue, all the wraiths around us suddenly pulled back, exposing the single creature. Its right hand moved. The flaming spear shot outwards, right as all the other wraiths fired in unison. Priscilla was still firing, but the seemingly-stronger wraith was guarded by its weaker fellows.

Aurelia and I did our best to dodge, but given the limited space it was difficult. _Hold on, this half of the wraiths are centered around you. We'll come in from behind._ Catarina said, _Priscilla, focus on destroying that burning one._

I had an idea of my own at the same time. _Aurelia, fall back, we can't hold them here._ We ran to the edge of the building and leapt to the next one. The burning spear shot beneath us, the greater wraith still approaching. We started to incur hits from the lesser ones as well, but they seemed to do little damage. So far, none had done more than bend away as if deflected by some invisible field.

We leapt again, Aurelia only turning around to send a few shots at our pursuers. Priscilla kept firing as fast as she could, but the wraiths still protected the stronger of them. Another jump. There was still a clear shot to the greater wraith, the others chasing to either side so as to provide a consistent line of fire. Aurelia turned, a volley of fire hit her. She flinched as one of the beams burned away at her skin, stumbling at the same time.

I turned, and then reflex did the rest. A kick into Aurelia's shoulder sent her sprawling to the side, right before I lifted my leg up high enough that I ended up flipping all the way around backwards. The reason for all of that passed right underneath my leg as I flipped over. Singing my skin a tiny bit, the spear passed off into the night before disintegrating.

A trio of wraiths bore down on us, before something from behind brought them all down. Alliana stood there, firing with her bow. Meanwhile, Catarina was wading into the mass around the greater wraith. There were perhaps a couple dozen of the smaller ones left, with just the larger one remaining.

Elsewhere in the city, the others were doing just fine for themselves. They didn't have the problem we did. However, our problem had little time left. Aurelia and I pushed forwards gain, striking down the remainder, and as Catarina cut down the last ones, a shot from Priscilla hit the greater wraith in the head.

It screamed, but refused to die. Catarina severed the arm with the burning spear, before Alliana sent an arrow into its chest. Aurelia was firing as I leapt in with my sword. Another bullet from Priscilla hit its head as I dragged the blade across its chest. It dissipated with a loud wail, leaving behind a pile of grief cubes.

A few seconds later, all the rest were dead as well. The others were already finished, with some final shots from Priscilla aiding them. Like someone had just flicked a switch, the night reverted to one of calm. It was all silent now. Just the ambient sounds of the city below, but they faded quickly into the background.

I looked at the girl beside me. "Thank you," I said begrudgingly, "For earlier." Aurelia was intent on not shattering her carefully-sculpted image. She just shrugged.

"It was nothing," then she turned away.

"You're hurt," I commented. My eyes focused on the burn mark on her shoulder. Aurelia froze. Then she looked over her shoulder.

As if the words could solve any problem, she said, "It's nothing." Still didn't thank me for risking my life to save her. I scoffed, and turned to face the other direction.

 _Good job,_ Germana said. The Thunderhawk wasn't overhead, but I figured she'd have someone observing us for assurance. _Just wait a few minutes, I'll be right there._

 _Great,_ I thought, _a few minutes stuck with her._ Of course, after that would come the ride back, and then sleeping just above her, but by the sleeping point I figured this would all be forgotten, and with eighteen other people watching and a reputation of bickering, I doubted we'd do anything on the way back.

I looked over my shoulder at her. Aurelia stared off at the ground below. She seemed almost nostalgic, as if she missed the way things had been. Meanwhile, here I stood lamenting the fact that I still didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

At least fighting wasn't so scary. At least I knew what the wraiths were like. At least I knew that I could do this. My mind just went around saying "at least this" and "at least that". I was happy, pleased, and not scared, not so much. But I felt better than I did before, this was happy.

The cold night wind whipped up my hair. I lost myself in the feeling, just listening to the wind rush by. So her words surprised me. I hadn't noticed her come up behind me. "Thank you." Aurelia said flatly, "For saving me back there." I could feel the pain in her voice. Perhaps it was not the pain of thanking someone, but the pain of thanking me.

I turned around. From the way she looked at me, she'd expected me to try something stupid like this. "What do you miss?" I asked, "What do you miss about your old life?"

Aurelia stepped forwards. From the way her fists were clenched, I knew she wanted to hit me. Of course, how could I stop her? I was the one intruding on her private thoughts. "All of it," She said quietly.

She started to walk away. "Then why are you even here?" I asked. That made her stop.

"Because I want to be," Aurelia said. She seemed ready to storm away, but she didn't. "And what are you scared of?"

She'd said so much. It was only right that I say something. "The future." I admitted. My eyes ran around, trying to find the others. They'd all given us room.

"So you have something to live for?" Aurelia asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "Of course I do." The pain in her features was unbearable. I wanted to make it stop. Simultaneously, I wondered if she wanted to do the same for me. Now, the previously calming silence was awkward. Meekly, I asked, "Aurelia. Would you call us friends, now?"

Her face lit up with red. Mine was the same. It took a few seconds, but she did honestly think on the question. "Yes." She said with something approaching a grin, "We're friends."

* * *

End Chapter 10 of Record

* * *

 **The other wraith comes from the Wraith Arc, for those wondering.**


	14. Calm Before the Storm

Round and round it spun, centered on the single finger that didn't seem to move at all. Her eyes didn't even watch the gun as it spun about her finger, instead they glanced off at the other in the room. That girl's eyes were focused on the spinning gun.

Ingwe sat on the edge of her bed, while Columbine leaned against the wall. One looked down, the other looked content. Not happy, but content. "It's just another complication. We've dealt with worse." Ingwe pointed out.

"Not with everything else, though. It's not just an inquisitor coming after us, nor Astikai chasing us, or the people around us being less than trustworthy, it's the fact that it's all connected together into a greater net of problems." Columbine explained. Her speaking didn't seem bothered by her emotions, but the weight of it all did press down on her tone.

"Where does Ushio fall?" Ingwe wondered. Columbine winced at that. "What's wrong?" Columbine didn't reply for a few seconds.

"She's someone I can trust. I think she trusts me, but I can't say how loyal she is. Given how close she still sticks to me, I imagine that we can expect her to stick on our side no matter what." Columbine explained. Then she took a deep breath.

As she exhaled, Ingwe asked, "Would you stick with her?"

That appeared to be Columbine's problem with this conversation. She didn't speak for several long seconds. "I would. She's not someone I can just leave behind." She changed the topic quickly. "What about you? How are things with the others?"

Ingwe wasn't hesitant to speak. "Hjalma's the most open. Dvasia never says a word, and Tamashii never cuts in more than once or twice, but I think they're starting to like me a bit more. They've a higher opinion of you, as well. I don't think it's their intention to rid themselves of us once you free Ushio's memories. The last battle proved that you're useful enough." Columbine nodded. She stepped away from the wall, before pausing.

"Have you found out anything more about their intentions with this whole experiment of theirs?" Columbine asked. Her tone was quieter than before. "It can't be what they've stated it to be. They're hiding something."

"I can't be certain. I'll try to push more once I feel more comfortable, but they have to suspect that I'm just gathering information." Ingwe said. She didn't look at Columbine now.

The blonde looked at her companion, as Ingwe stared down at the floor. "Something wrong?"

Ingwe spoke quickly, words almost stumbling over each other as they poured from her mouth. "Just a memory."

"A bad one, then?" Ingwe nodded. "Of what?"

"You and I, back when we were enemies." Ingwe explained. Columbine didn't ask anymore. That was all that needed to be said.

"Well, we're not anymore." She was grinning now. "And we're only closer because of it."

Ingwe cracked a bit of a grin, "Indeed." She agreed. "Indeed."

* * *

She saw something on the bed move as the door opened. Brushing back disheveled hair from her eyes, Ushio looked at Columbine as she entered the room. "I told you not to sleep." Columbine said, not entirely angry about it. She hadn't rested for almost a week straight now.

Ushio groaned. "I had, I was tired, and I couldn't stop myself." Columbine just shrugged.

"It's your mind. If you want it ripped open, then…" Columbine shuddered as the memory of that girl ran through her head once again. "Look, just try not to as much as you can."

Ushio looked at Columbine with concern. "You need some yourself. You think you'll be any use like you are right now?" Columbine just shrugged.

"I'll be fine," she insisted.

"For how long? How long will it take till you sleep again? Will you just never do it?" Ushio asked, raising her voice. It was one of the few times she ever had. Columbine stopped. She seemed to be lost in thought. "How can something be so utterly terrifying?" Ushio asked her, "How? Just how?"

Columbine stepped over to the bed, and sat down on the side of it. "You don't understand. It wasn't just what she said, or did, or who she was. It was what I felt. Some primal instinct surged up inside me, and told me that I had to run. It was either fight or flight, and my body knew that I couldn't fight this. I was facing something that just shouldn't exist."

She continued on after a few unsteady breathes. "Daemons aren't something incredibly scary. They're denizens of another plane of existence, that's all. But that girl. She was something else, something worse. She was something that shouldn't exist because it shouldn't be possible. She was something that shouldn't exist because no person in their right mind would be motivated to create her."

The room was silent. "Do you think she had something to do with the experiment? Ten years ago?" Ushio asked.

Columbine was still shaken by the images and feelings that her rant recalled. Ushio's hand lay on her shoulder. "Columbine?" She asked worriedly. The girl flinched with a gasp, batting the hand away as she frantically stood from the bed. "You're not alright," Ushio commented.

Columbine shook her head. "I'm fine," She muttered. "Just recalling it all…it's scary." Ushio nodded. Columbine sat back down on the bed after the two were quiet. The blonde didn't expect to hear what she did from Ushio.

"Do you have your own reason to be here? To be wrapped up in all of this?" Ushio wondered.

Columbine didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"You're hiding things about ten years ago. Before you joined Astikai, right?" Ushio explained. Then she asked once more. Do you have your own stake in all of this?"

"Those memories." Columbine closed her eyes with a painful expression on her face. "Those memories have nothing to do with Astikai or any of this nonsense. I'm here because of chance, a coincidence. Not because of some secret from my past."

Ushio just grinned a little. "Do you believe in fate, Columbine?"

"Of course not." This was something Columbine could confidently speak on. "It doesn't exist. Not in the slightest. Anyone has the power to decide their course of action. It is merely a question of who is willing to use that power."

A slight chuckle led Columbine to look over her shoulder with a harsh glare. "What do you know? It seems that your life has always been dictated by others."

"Maybe, maybe not. I can't really remember anything before that experiment. Maybe it did produce something truly horrific, for I erased every trace of it all." Ushio sighed, "Well, I am a diviner. If fate doesn't exist, then how come I can see the future?"

"But you're not always correct." Columbine pointed out, "And you don't know everything." She shook her head. "That's just being able to predict the future with a high level of accuracy. In no way is it truly something like fate."

Ushio didn't reply for a minute. She laid back against the back of the bed. Looking to another corner of the room, she whispered, "If you really think so then…" She shuddered as she said, "That really makes me happy."

Columbine looked with confusion at the girl. "W-what?" She asked, almost astounded to the point of speechlessness.

"Don't act so surprised," Ushio was almost in tears, "I…I want to believe that I'm not just something controlled by what I did over ten years ago. I want to believe that I'm more than just a writer of some plan that others will use for their own gain!" She met Columbine's eyes. "Could…could you make me think that, just for a little while longer?" Columbine heard the unspoken words at the end: _Before you go back to using me yourself?_

Columbine practically leapt at her. Ushio gasped as the girl embraced her. "You always have the ability to choose your own path. Never, ever are you forced along any road." For a few seconds, it was just their breathing. "Ushio, you're not a pawn. You are your own person. Don't think otherwise, ever." Columbine wasn't sure why she cared so much.

"T-thank you," Ushio sputtered out, before bursting into tears once more. "Thank you so much…"

Still, there was something left unsaid. Columbine wouldn't allow that. "I'm not using you for my own gain," She whispered. "I'll unlock your memories. And if we need to do something more, then I'll do something more. But after that...and all the way till then, I'll protect you."

"Do you promise?" Ushio asked.

"I swear on the Goddess." Columbine whispered. Then added, "Mine, of course." She then blushed a little, remembering some of the more important things about her beliefs.

"Thank you." Ushio responded. Her tears finally came to an end with a final few sniffles. "Now…can you go to sleep?"

Columbine was quiet. Her lips moved slowly, with uncertainty, "I suppose." Her eyes were almost closing on their own.

Ushio wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her down onto the bed. "Then come on, you woke me up." Columbine couldn't help but smile happily. Tears of her own almost slipped from her eyes, but not because of any sadness.

She was happy. Maybe it was just false hope from speaking the words out loud, but for once, she really believed she could change her own path.

* * *

Despite her proclamation, I can't say that Aurelia and I acted like friends. Getting back into the Thunderhawk was done in silence, and we both sat down without any interaction with the other. Of course, neither of us wanted to snap ahead so far. We could share things one might call secrets, but that didn't mean we were ready to act so warmly at all times.

"That was a fine job, all of you." Germana spoke as the Thunderhawk lifted off. The second squad was present as well. "Though I suppose the first had to deal with a few complications." She quickly explained, "What you saw back there was a Greater Wraith. Strange that it was around." Germana shrugged. I wondered if there was some deeper meaning, but that was for only a brief moment before the sergeant shattered any illusion of mystery, "Guess the PDG missed it."

"Missed it?" It was Mariana who raised this question.

Germana rolled her eyes. "Yes, they got rid of the more powerful creatures. To ensure that you all were alright. Can't have any fatalities." She said. My heart dropped as my thoughts were crushed.

Before anyone else could cry out, Germana explained, "This isn't an insult to your abilities, it's recognition of the fact that this was your first time doing something like this. Major cities like that are patrolled by at least five girls, two or three of whom are generally past their thirties."

That calmed the general atmosphere a little, but I could tell a few were still slighted by the fact. Given my previous fear, which still existed, I couldn't be angry. It was scary, considering the possibility of fighting more of those things at once. _Maybe there are even more powerful wraiths after that,_ I thought. A shiver ran down my spine.

"The reason you never knew about the wraiths," Germana answered the question that I think had been nagging at all of us. "Is because it was deliberately hidden. We don't want people panicking, knowing that such monsters exist in their backyards. Ignorance is superior to knowledge, in this case." It made sense. Given the fears I already had, I couldn't imagine living with the knowledge that such things lurked outside the window every night.

"We'll be back soon, and from there it's time for some sleep." Germana said. She'd already collected all the grief cubes that the wraiths had dropped, which were for our own use. The self-sufficiency of this whole program impressed me.

I was tired, and happy to sleep after all of that. Though I knew that tomorrow would just be more tiring, and that probably there'd be another session of Elliana shoving things into our minds. I couldn't blame them for making this so effective, but at the same time, I wondered if I'd ever get a break.

* * *

Despite all that we could do, sleep wasn't something we could just go without, at least at that point. We discovered that all the next morning, as the late night left us all stumbling outside in a fashion not fitting the manner that had been drilled into us over the past almost two weeks.

 _Two weeks,_ I thought with disbelief as I stumbled into line. _There's no way it's been that long. Or that short?_ I wasn't sure how fast time was supposed to be moving. But I knew that memory of contracting still stayed strong in my head. I knew I'd never forget it.

The darkening clouds in the sky didn't bring me any joy. I knew Germana wouldn't stop for the sake of bad weather. Luckily, it was lunch before anything started to fall, and I only hoped that Elliana would rescue us from the downpour that began only a couple minutes after the break began.

Aurelia and I sat with Catarina and Alliana. Earlier in the morning, we'd been alone, and too tired to reminisce on anything that had happened the night before. But at least now we could talk. I noticed the other two were a bit more peaceful, so things were cooling down between them as well.

"It was strange," Catarina started the conversation. "Last night. I figured it wouldn't be fun at all, but it was somehow exhilarating."

That was the same thought that had run through my head. It was scary, certainly, but somehow I'd enjoyed it. It made sense. I was going to fight for the rest of my life. If I didn't enjoy it, that'd be a problem. And if fighting wasn't enjoyable at all, I'm not sure why anyone would fight.

"It wasn't scary at all," Aurelia said. Her tone didn't change from the usual. I hoped that she remembered what we said to each other last night, but for all I knew she just shut that away as well. "Those things were surprisingly easy." I couldn't tell if she forgot about the spear that almost went through her chest, or if she was putting on an act of bravery.

I was about to open my mouth when Alliana spoke. "Well, at least they're good for practice. It'll start to be boring after a while, perhaps, but who knows?"

"I don't think it'll be boring. Germana said the PDG did a lot of the work for us before we even arrived. It'll start getting harder, I'm sure of it." I said. The others agreed. I don't think they caught the undertone of fright in my voice. I didn't really want it getting any more difficult, even though I couldn't say that I was truly in danger the night before. Again, it was that not-knowing that got to me.

Aurelia looked at Catarina. "You took charge quite nicely. Have you always wanted to?"

The target of her question shrugged. "It just happened. I realized it was probably necessary, so I decided to take action. No one complained, and I hope I didn't step on anyone's hopes, but I think it went alright."

Alliana was silent, suddenly far more involved in eating her food than before. I just complimented, "I think you did fine," And Aurelia echoed the sentiment. Catarina smiled and thanked the both of us.

"I hope you continue," I told her, "It suits you well." Alliana still hadn't commented. I glanced at her briefly, and Catarina spoke.

Venom was laced through her words as she said, "Alliana won't compliment me until I admit she's right. So it seems to be that no matter what, I'll have at least a single detractor."

Alliana just rolled her eyes and shook her head, not biting at the obvious bait. "So you two aren't any closer to solving your debate?" I asked.

Catarina nodded. "We've reached a sort of truce, but that's all. No actual resolution." She explained, then added, "I doubt we'll ever get there."

"Perhaps you two should stop treating each other as ideological enemies and get to know one another." Aurelia muttered. "Just because you disagree doesn't mean you can't be friends." My mood brightened up as I thought that Aurelia was thinking of her and I.

"True, and I think that's what we're trying. The problem is that it's hard to separate the issue away when it's one of the first things we talked about." Catarina said.

Alliana sighed. "Why must we talk about it now?" she asked.

"Because I'm tired of talking about it at all," Catarina replied dryly. "Can't we just set it aside?"

"Perhaps," Alliana said, "We are supposed to be partners after all." She smirked, "Work together and all that."

I stood up, "Aurelia, would you perhaps like to go outside?" Aurelia looked up at me with a sigh. Then she stood. Catarina gave a wave goodbye with a fake grin as Alliana started to rant on, before she turned right around and replied in equal length.

Aurelia and I just walked through the doors. "I suppose we're not them, at least." I said.

Aurelia shook her head. "No, as people, they're far better suited to work together. The moment they resolve that, they'll make us two look a bunch of whining kids."

I stared angrily at her. Aurelia just looked back as though bored. "You get angry at me a lot. I'm starting to prefer the look." She reached out and poke my cheek, before I batted her hand away.

"Don't treat me like that," I spat. Aurelia just grinned.

"See, we are just little kids." She commented, before turning and walking away. I couldn't disagree with that.

* * *

I leaned back, preparing for her to go into my head again. Then, I had a thought. Pausing, I looked at Elliana. "You're a telepath, right?"

She nodded. "Why?"

"I was wondering what exactly my role is." I explained, "I mean, I don't see how I can do something against a wraith, when they don't have minds, and I don't know what else I can do."

Elliana just smiled. "That makes sense. I thought the same thing. There's a lot you can do, and I'm going to teach you all that, but I'm going to wait for another couple weeks or so to ensure that your mind is ready. Until it's adapted to these sessions, I don't want to be shoving anything more in there, if that's alright with you."

"Of course," I said. I wasn't disappointed. Now it was just another thing I had to look ahead to.

* * *

The frail girl always seemed to be the most affected out of us all. She was leaning back against the wall, as we sat against one of the buildings. The roof that came out above us blocked the downpour, but I doubted Priscilla's ability to sit up straight otherwise.

This morning, she'd been the slowest of us all, and Elliana's workings hadn't made anything better. I felt bad for her, but she didn't seem to care in the slightest. Since she knew that Mariana would gladly do anything and everything for her, her attitude made sense to me.

Her doll-like features just gazed out at the rain as we sat beside one another. Only a few feet away, Mariana stood. Always watching. I pulled my eyes down from her to her lover. Priscilla didn't look back. "Were you scared, last night?" I asked. It felt a bit strange, being the only one who was really fearful of fighting. Or maybe Alliana and Catarina had just been acting. A part of me wanted to believe that I knew them too well to know they weren't.

Priscilla thought on that question. "Honestly? I was. Even though I can see the future, I didn't want to be there." She took a long, deep breath. "Even sitting back from a distance made me worry." The girl hesitated, then admitted softly, "I don't want to die."

"I don't either. You're not alone in that fear you felt." I told her. It was only right that I admitted it. "Though, I think I might be scared of a lot more than you, so don't feel bad."

The silver-haired girl shook her head. Gently, not a harsh correction. More like one she expected. I wondered how accurate her divination was. If she could see seconds away, even. "I'm scared of everyone. Even you." She spoke quietly. "I can't trust anybody. Even you." But still, Priscilla smiled.

If there was anything about her that was wondrous, it was her ability to smile. And not lie. Not be like those people who put on fake smiles to hide what they were really feeling, who smiled when they felt sad. Priscilla smiled because she was at least content.

"Still, I'll keep going. I may be scared now, but I know I can get stronger. I know that one day, I won't be scared." Priscilla shuddered a little, "That's the day I dream of."

I had nothing to say to that. We sat and watched the rain pour down. I wondered when it would clear. Maybe soon, maybe later. "Just how far ahead can you see?" I wondered.

"My magic?" Priscilla then said, "It taxes me greatly to use it, and I wouldn't say it's incredibly accurate. I can usually see ahead by about a day, maybe several hours if I'm lucky. But no further than a day, and no less than several hours."

"So you don't use it often?" I asked.

Priscilla confirmed. "I didn't know what we'd say in this conversation. Don't feel as if it didn't matter. In order for me to see it, it has to be a possibility." She sighed, "I like to tell myself that I see only what should happen. But…" Her gentle voice slipped away and stopped. I noticed that she was looking down at the ground now.

My eyes couldn't look up before she hit me. I fell back against the grass as Mariana struck me across the face again. "Why can't you understand?!" she shouted. I heard the sadness in her cry. "Just stop! All you're doing is hurting her even more! You…" Mariana tried to calm herself, "You…you don't understand." She took shallow breathes as she sat atop me, staring down at me with a murderous gaze. "Just stay away from Priscilla. I won't let you make this any more painful for her."

She got off me. Then she turned around, gently scooping Priscilla into her arms. "Mariana," Priscilla said quietly, "Please don't hurt her. She doesn't understand, it's not her fault."

"What are you thinking of right now?" Mariana asked. Priscilla was silent. "Then just think of me, I'll protect you. I'm here for you." She walked away, continuing to hold the girl tightly to herself. Then she disappeared in a flash of light. So dedicate that she'd rather waste magic than walk through the rain.

I pulled myself up. For a few seconds, I just sat there staring at the ground. Then I turned and leaned back against the wall. A sad look came onto my face as I stared at the rain. Just like we had before, but minus Priscilla and her oh-so-devoted guardian.

Footfalls turned my head to the side. Aurelia dashed out from around the corner, but slowed when her eyes found me. She hastened to cover and sat down beside me. Her clothes were soaked. "Another run-in with the psycho lesbians?" she asked.

I stared dully at her. "That's not a very nice name. Priscilla's not the problem at all. I don't know why Mariana really does what she does, but she's the one who hits me." I said. Then I just felt tears well up in my eyes. "Can I do anything right?" I wondered wistfully.

Aurelia just grinned. "I said we were friends, didn't I? Is that enough for you?"

I gasped as whipped my head to look at her. "You…you really meant that."

"Idiot," She blushed, "Of course I did." Her muscles tensed, though.

I lit up in a similar fashion and said simply, "Well, thank you." I leaned all the way back. We sat there, staring out at the rain.

* * *

I lay in bed staring up at the dark ceiling. It had been some time since everyone else had probably fallen to sleep. But I was still lying there. Thoughts ran through my head, memories of everything that had happened. Somehow, just now, I was realizing that I had a whole life before this that I had just forgotten about.

Rarely did the thought of my parents appear. I thought about Albina more. Really, this had all distanced me further and further from that old life. Here I was, in unknown territory.

But at least I had a friend. The first real friend I'd ever had besides my sister. I felt tears running down my cheeks, but it was one of the happiest moments of my life. Really, everything did seem to be just fine.

* * *

End Chapter 11 of record

* * *

 **A shorter chapter this time, but the title describes it all. I've been disappointed in myself with how slow things have been moving, but the next several chapters are going to have a lot of things happening.**


	15. The Cruelty of Time

Fallen Angels 6th Company, 7th Squad Roster as of M41.451:

Tentheta: Current sergeant. Melee specialist. From Ismailia.

Meryet: Analyst. From Ismailia.

Nebet: Stealth generator. From Ismailia.

Seti: Shield generator. From Ismailia.

Lucine: Melee specialist. From Vanadzor.

Perchuhi: Electromancer. From Vanadzor.

Aghavni: Teleporter. From Vanadzor.

Margarid: Telepath. From Vanadzor.

Varduhi: Clairvoyant. From Vanadzor.

Alicia: Illusionist. Born aboard trading vessel _Cathelia._

* * *

As the monitor came back online, and the contents of the system spread out in front of their eyes, not a single pair really focused on the hologram, save one. Columbia stared forwards, mind already working as fast as it possibly could. Full well, she understood that all her eyes were on her. Perhaps rightfully so.

She had gotten them this far. There wasn't any doubt that she would continue to move them forwards. Their collective breathes were held as they stared at the viewscreen, watching the relatively small orb that was Cyprus. From this great of a distance, the numerous shipyards that surrounded it were almost invisible, instead showing as a field of dark grey that surrounded the blue-green of the planet.

Columbine focused her eyes, the picture coming together "Give me the full situation," She spoke the words in a voice close to an order, aimed at Hjalma.

"Nineteen magical girls total, one dreadnought, four Thunderhawks, thirty-one interceptors, fifteen fighter-bombers. Void fields operating at eighty-nine percent capacity, all weapon systems fully operational, no major armor damage." Columbine nodded at the end of the report. She'd already heard it, but she needed to search through it again just hear the words spoken once more.

She bit down on her tongue hard, exhaling as she tried to think. Sensing, the warp energy fully dissipating, she initiated the link with Ushio. In a private message, she said, _do you truly wish to figure out what it is you made?_

 _If it's so dangerous an entire planet died for it, then I do._ Ushio confirmed. The hesitation in her voice said everything, _I'm also just curious but…if it truly is that terrible, I'd rather it be buried forever._

 _It won't be buried until Astikai's dead and gone. And everyone else on this ship as well,_ Columbine pointed out. _But, we first need to know what this experiment is._ She focused her priorities, _check everything I send to you. We'll win this, I promise._

"Execute the operation as planned so far," She ordered. Dvasia instantly sent off the distress message, explaining that they were an Inquisitorial vessel on a secret operation in desperate need of assistance. Columbine wondered why it was Dvasia, and not someone else, but didn't question anything. This wasn't the time for distrust.

"They are allowing us to near the planet for boarding. They will meet us on the way." Dvasia explained.

Columbine's lips stretched out in a smirk. "As long as we have that, we're just fine." She clearly ordered to the captain, "Move ahead at two-thirds speed. Devote all power to engines. Once we enter within ten thousand kilometers of the enemy ships, accelerate to maximum speed, and skirt directly by Cyprus."

She explained the plan as the engines warmed up and began to move the vessel. "The journey here was relatively calm, so Astikai and the other ship should be here within thirty or forty-five minutes. Astikai will hopefully distract them as well, but we otherwise have only one shot. Furthermore, the moment the lord inquisitor arrives, our cover will be spoiled."

She would switch to telepathy, but she wanted the human captain and crew to here as well, "Where is the target?"

"She will be in the biggest city. I believe she is a knight." Ushio replied.

"Then we move there. We can't afford to hunt for her, and she should be deployed to wherever we go. Therefore, as the Wellgunde passes Cyprus, all four Thunderhawks will be deployed. Only one Thunderhawk will carry anyone, and only that one will be manually piloted. The Wellgunde will continue away from the planet, before circling back around to port, and then coming back into orbit. At that point, we must be finished, as we will return, and hopefully begin a series of jumps towards the Imperial frontier."

Columbine finished her explanation with a deep breath. "That is of course, the basic plan. I will have to improvise on the way, as we do not at all understand the numbers we are facing down there. There could be any number of knights on leave." She felt the heavy weight on her shoulders.

All she could do was try. She realized her breathes were starting to get a bit ragged. _I'll prove you wrong. Mother. I'll prove you wrong._ She didn't realize the mental link was open and working.

 _Ah, sorry._ Ushio said, almost tearing the link right there. But she stopped herself. It would have been painful for the both of them, potentially harmful. Stuck at the impasse, and unable to look at each other lest the others suspect something, they did their best to talk.

 _It's fine, it's nothing too personal._ Columbine just tried to brush it off, as her mind started to rush with embarrassment and fear. Though those emotions could be felt by Ushio as well. There wasn't any way of hiding anything.

 _I won't ask, I don't need to know._ Ushio told her, _you know right now that there's more important things to you. Your secret is safe with me._ A beat. _It's the least I can do. We both know the debt I owe you is far greater than merely that._

Columbine said nothing. Instead she focused on the information on the viewscreen. Half a dozen torpedo escorts were flying alongside a single cruiser. Enough to take down the _Wellgunde._ However, they were hopefully expecting a direct confrontation, or some sort of trickery to occur. Not a mad dash to Cyprus, and a seeming suicide mission being launched.

"How close do you want us to pass by?" the captain asked, "The shipyards go out for a few hundred kilometers, and if we go too close, we're locked in orbit or caught in the gravity well. If we try to go through the yards, we might make it, or we smash into something at half the speed of light."

"Take us past the edge of the shipyards," Columbine ordered, "We'll make it." Another moment of thought, then, "We can't warm up lances, they'll detect that, but ensure everything is loaded. As we go past the yards, fire everything we have on the broadside. Launch torpedoes as approach, aiming for anything with major point-defense weapons. After you pass, devote all power to shields, then slow and turn around. It'll be risky, but we should be able to hold out, and this is the only way to pass the planet without suffering major damage. If Astikai does attack, I doubt we'll need to worry about the yards and other ships on the way back."

"If she doesn't?" the captain asked, a bit of worry finding its way into their voice.

"Then we die," Columbine said with a heavy sigh. "But, I know Astikai. She won't miss a chance to humiliate the Imperium, and with her power, and the importance of this, it's exactly what she'll do." A hopeful grin came onto her face.

"Furthermore, everyone, set up your minds for high-level calculations. We need to establish, down to the nanosecond, the exact moment when we can start accelerating and still dodge the torpedoes they'll send our way when we do." Columbine ordered, arranging her own mind for the task. The parameters were input, and they began calculating. "We need to plot out the entire course, now that we have real data involved. Do as much as you all can." She ordered.

Their concern was clear. Though she'd been successful in the previous battle, there was no guarantee that this would be any better. In fact, their chances were even slimmer. Columbine appreciated the fact that they stayed in line. But she still owed a debt to them. A debt that could only be paid off by assuring them of what lay ahead.

"I want all of you to understand that is it entirely possible for us to win. It will be difficult, people may die, and there is a chance we will not succeed. But as long as there is a chance of success, which there always, always is, you must continue to move forwards." Columbine wasn't sure where her words came from, but they spilled from her mouth. Memories of that promise to Ushio rose from her mind, "Otherwise, you acknowledge your powerlessness." A few seconds of pause. Perhaps she just searched for the right words, perhaps it was excellent dramatic tension. The truth was muddled even for Columbine. "And no one is ever powerless."

* * *

Wading through the tension would have been like forcing one's way through a solid wall. The room was frozen in place, as though time itself had ground to a halt in expectation. A long story explaining the nature of the _Wellgunde_ and its operations was prepared, and Dvasia was busy reading it off to the rightfully suspicious authorities as the minutes to the meeting wound down.

"We'll go even if Astikai and the other aren't here yet," Columbine said, "We have to, otherwise there's not a chance." It had been about forty minutes since they arrived. At maximum speed, a dangerous thing move in the midst of a solar system, they could burn inwards to reach in Cyprus in another twenty minutes.

No one challenged that. It was all they could do. "Torpedoes are loaded, correct?" Columbine asked. The captain confirmed that. "Good." Columbine said. Just confirming, as she'd been doing again and again.

There wasn't anything more to be done. Every single piece of information that could possibly be gathered at this point was in their hands. Part of what came next would be up to luck, partially up to the people executing the plan, and partially on the shoulders of the one making things up as she went.

 _Are you worried?_ Ushio asked. Columbine was pacing back and forth, mind working over the same thoughts again and again. If one thing went wrong, everything went wrong.

A torpedo could catch them as they tried to escape, ripping the ship apart. A single vessel out of line could annihilate them as they shot past the planet. Lucky shots from a point defense gun on their way down could bring down the correct Thunderhawk and end the operation right there. Astikai could do nothing, leaving them all to die.

So many factors were involved. It didn't take a genius to know that not a single plan survives contact with the enemy. _Of course I'm worried,_ Columbine replied, _if I wasn't, I'd be an overconfident fool._

 _Do you think Astikai gets worried?_ Ushio wondered.

 _She has to, to some extent. Else she wouldn't be better than me._ Columbine explained, reviewing Ushio's latest predictions. There was a sixty-seven percent chance of success at this rate, based on the average of at least fifty knights present on Cyprus.

 _Isn't confidence something good?_

 _Confidence leads to stupidity. If you believe you're better than someone just because you consider yourself smarter, or have a good track record, then you fail._ Columbine explained, _you'll lose before the battle even begins, simply because you think you're better. I learned that lesson myself, and I'll never fall for it again._

 _But you're confident in your ability to succeed._ Ushio said, then questioned, _so why not be confident you'll somehow win?_

 _Ushio, there's always a path to victory. There's always a path to solving any problem by facing it head on. But that path isn't necessarily discovered by a meticulous plan made beforehand, a plan that will not hold true._ Columbine said. She took a deep breath. Only three minutes left.

 _But no matter what,_ she told Ushio, _never forget that no matter the odds against you, you can succeed. Running away has never solved anything._

"Warp entry!" A bridge officer called. "Confirming size and shape, confirming, confirming-" They continued on, waiting for the energy to clear, as the clairvoyants scrambled to identify. "Another signature!"

 _Got the first one!_ The astroclairvoyant announced at the same time as the bridge officer. _It's the lord inquisitor!_

"Commence operation!" Columbine shouted. In an instant, the entire ship rumbled as the engines flared with a new light. The void field's power dropped drastically, and a volley of torpedoes loosed themselves from their tubes. Then the _Wellgunde_ was pushing herself as fast as she could to starboard, right into position to blaze past Cyprus.

Then the entire ship began to rumble. The roaring of the engines was audible throughout the entire length of the massive vessel. To outside observers, the ship must have resembled more of a bright star flashing into existence. Then they were shooting forwards.

Columbine breathed faster and faster as she stared at the viewscreen. The first lance shots had scraped at the void fields, but they held just barely. But if a single torpedo impacted, there's no way the shields would be repaired in time for the pass on Cyprus.

But it seemed the calculations were correct. The torpedoes were going to scrap right by the _Wellgunde._ Only kilometers would separate them, barely enough room to avoid detonating the proximity fuses. Columbine almost shed tears at the beauty of it. _If only I was on the Imperium's side,_ she thought, _they'd be speaking of this for years and years to come._

Ahead, Cyprus was already beginning to react. Every single warship was mobilizing. Their crews rushed onboard as systems began emergency startups, seeking to rush the vessels out as fast as possible.

Meanwhile, those who had come to meet the _Wellgunde_ were met with the fury of Astikai. Dropping almost directly next to them, the maneuver was itself masterfully executed. _She's always had one of the best navigators._ Columbine thought, _and if my suspicions are right, she's got more help than just that._

Already turning to face the _Wellgunde,_ the destroyers were caught with their rears facing Astikai's cruiser. Lance rounds, mass drivers, and torpedoes alike ripped their rears, knocking three out of commission in a matter of a couple minutes, before the others could turn around and give battle.

But boarding teams were already storming the cruiser, and resistance was quickly being squashed. The cruiser quickly began to retreat, not wishing to lose its life in a battle that was already over. A single escort and the cruiser were limping back towards Cyprus after only five minutes of furious exchange.

Then Astikai was following. Her engines flared to levels similar to those of the _Wellgunde._ Though not quite as fast, as she most certainly wished to lay siege to the planet, despite her lack of numbers. She easily closed that gap with firepower anyways.

To the captain, Columbine said, "If anything else occurs, contact me immediately. Otherwise, we'll get to the Thunderhawk." The nineteen girls quickly dispersed from the bridge, rushing for the hangar. Both clairvoyants kept Columbine updated on the situation occurring outside, which showed another escort squadron and a cruiser deploying from the planet, with a full naval squadron on its way, as was estimated.

 _They can't catch us,_ she spoke to the rest as they strapped themselves into the Thunderhawk. _But the defenses we'll be passing by can do just that._ Dvasia and Tamashii were both ready in the dreadnought. Beside Columbine sat Ushio, whose occasional tremble was silence by the subtle movement of Columbine's hand over Ushio's.

She opened up the vox to the entire ship, "Good luck, everyone. May she be with you." Some fifteen minutes remained. "We will win this." All that every one of them could do was wait.

* * *

With a loud crash, the door came close to simultaneously being ripped from its hinges and dashed to pieces against the wall. Breathing hard, fingers slowly tearing themselves from the knob she grasped so tightly, Meryet's wide eyes bore into those of the girl on the bed.

In a similar state of distress, Alicia's hands grasped the sides of her head, her eyes only facing upwards because of Meryet's entrance. She shuddered more and more with every second. Meryet asked a question she already knew the answer to.

"What's wrong?" The words rolled off her tongue with a sense of hesitation, a desire to not have the question be answered the way she thought it would. But the entire situation was tinged with inevitability. Meryet knew deep in her mind that she would find herself in a situation along these lines.

As Alicia moved her lips, Meryet thought up a happy dream where Alicia had been scared by some trivial nightmare. But trivial and nightmare are words that can't fit together with the case of someone like Alicia. "It's here," the small girl gasped out, every part of her conveying total, absolute terror.

Meryet just gave the slightest of nods. "What is it?" She asked.

"Something that shouldn't exist." Alicia said quietly. She completely believed every word that came from her mouth. Meryet didn't doubt them for a second.

 _Another two ships just jumped in,_ Lucine called in Meryet's head. _Uh-oh, one's Lord Inquisitor Alania. And…she says that-_

She was forcefully interrupted by another broadcast, one addressed to every single magical girl on the planet. _A state of emergency has been declared. Two rogue warships are attacking the planet. All personnel prepare for immediate combat. System-wide network has been established, please make contact with your superior officers, and physically meet if possible. Wait for further instructions._

Meryet gritted her teeth. She looked at Alicia. "Come on," She said, linking into the larger network as she spoke, "We can't be scared now. "

Alicia nodded. She still fiercely shook, but she wasn't going to run away. "Alicia, whatever this is," Meryet took a breath, thinking of her own frightful dreams, "You have to face it." For some reason, she felt as though all this was meant to happen. As though that dream was merely a portent of what was to come.

Alicia stood from the bed. She paused for a moment, then she started moving. "Let's go," she said, voice still shaky.

Lucine was still there, and had been sitting outside listening directly to the command chatter. She was still on the balcony. Meryet glared at her. "It's faster," Lucine said, waving her hand.

 _Good, found you three._ It was Tentheta. _We're gathering at Nicosia, how long?_

Meryet ran the numbers in her head, but Lucine interrupted. _We should be retrieved by craft, there's a few more girls here._ She said.

Then their conversation was superseded by yet another. _This is Captain Emilia Eschaton, Blood Angels 3_ _rd_ _Company. As ranking officer on Cyprus, I am talking full command of all units onplanet. Your assignments will come shortly, but for now, prepare to mobilize to defend Nicosia and Paphos._ The two largest cities on the planet had to be the prime targets. _The Goddess Protects._

 _Emilia?_ Meryet questioned, _yet another name, it seems._

Tentheta picked the line back up, _alright, we're mostly here, so I imagine we'll be seeing each other shortly. How are you three?_

Meryet spoke first, immediately saying, _Alicia saw this coming._ She almost regretted the words immediately, but it wasn't the time to hide things. If something bad was going to happen, she couldn't just pretend that everything was fine. _She had a nightmare, where she saw something terrible coming. That was days ago. She just woke up saying that it's here, right when the second ship came in._

Tentheta hesitated to respond. _Why are you telling us all this?_ The link was to the entire squad.

 _Because Alicia is one of us. If we're going to fight together, we need to understand everything._ Meryet explained. Alicia stood right beside, looking down in shame. As though she were a monster, something to be feared. Meryet lay a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," She said, "I'll protect you. But…you know that I want to help you, and keeping secrets won't save you from anything." Alicia nodded.

She couldn't be angry. Not after Meryet had done so much for her. Not after she showed that she cared so much. Alicia knew that she could trust Meryet to protect her, no matter what.

The response from the squad wasn't as severe as they feared. Rather, they all seemed to understand. Just the general aura of the girl had been a discomforting one. If there was something more to it, then it only made sense.

 _If that's the case, then we'll handle it later._ Tentheta said, _if it's that bad, then we can't afford to start pointing fingers and screaming 'heretic'._ No one disagreed with her.

Meryet strolled out onto the balcony, hearing the deployment orders come in. As expected, she'd be seeing her comrades soon. She cast her gaze upwards at the bright morning sky, knowing that above, people were dying.

Blue and white light lit the blackness as long-range lance fire was exchanged. Leaping up from the single vessel, which somehow weathered the guns of a dozen, to scratch at the shields of the larger ships. With the defenses of the shipyards almost ready to enter play, the odds seemed impossibly stacked against the single vessel.

Despite all that, Columbine knew that it was entirely futile to try and stop Astikai. If she truly wished something to be destroyed, she would destroy it easily enough. There wasn't much time left now, around five minutes. Then, they'd be cast straight into the hands of luck, if such a thing existed.

Meanwhile, Alania's ship limped along behind, weapons crippled. It merely tried to make it home in one piece, something that seemed fairly reasonable given the information provided. After all, there wasn't the slightest chance of Astikai gaining victory in the current battle.

Even the _Wellgunde's_ chances seemed slim. With its speed, torpedoes had to be fired far ahead, allowing the ships point-defenses to take them down in time. However, if any direct fire impacted, things were going to rough. Only their speed could save them, and a straight line was not conducive to dodging.

"All broadside weapons are ready. We'll fire with everything the moment we pass." The captain said over the vox. Nervous glances were exchanged, though everyone was armored. The minutes were ticking down in their minds.

The ship rumbled. Then twice more. Mass driver rounds threatened to punch through the thin fields surrounding the warship. Luckily, the forward shields had the most power. Three minutes. Columbine took a deep breath, stabilizing herself.

 _We can win this,_ she told herself, knowing that Ushio was still linked. _We're not going to be blown away, at least not in the next three minutes._ The girl promised her. That alone brought Columbine some hope. But after that was the descent to the surface.

She'd known it before, but time clearly showed its hand as one of the greatest tyrants in the history of man. Perhaps the greatest of them all. Allowing one to move in only one direction, and at only one speed, time was truly the master of everything. Nothing could stop it, nothing could challenge it. The inevitability of its passing toyed with hearts and minds, and the actual passing brought ruin to even the greatest empires.

For a little over two and a half minutes, Columbine encountered that tyrant, and faced it head on. Only that will, that will to control one's fate, which she believed so strongly that anyone could possess, kept her calm and collected.

Then, before she could even comprehend that the clock had reached zero, it was time. The ship shook wildly as ever single broadside weapon fired in a massive volley. Everyone shook as the Thunderhawk shot from the hangar like one of those great shells. Engines already warmed, the group of four craft dove into the maelstrom head on.

Behind them, the void fields of the _Wellgunde_ flickered with the impacts of the shipyard's defenses, as the warship's own explosives impacted against the myriad stations and warships that formed a convoluted field of grey metal.

There, a trio of shells at relative point-blank range busted open a defense station, spilling flame and hundreds of lives into the freezing void. And there, a ship just activating received a shell that could crack a planet's crust to the rear. A great ball of light exploded outwards, swallowing all for hundreds of meters as the ship detonated from within.

Despite the devastation, the Thunderhawks still had hundreds of kilometers to go. And on all sides, they were surrounded by the preying guns of dozens of warships and battle-stations. From all around came beams of lights, flocks of missiles, and armor-piercing shells. Just looking out via clairvoyancy, Columbine felt her heart rise into her throat.

They didn't slow for anything, continuing to push on even as packs of fighters issued forth from hangars all around, adding their fire to the mix. The crossfire became so intense that it slowed several times, as friendly fire began to pile up. But still the Thunderhawks were chased.

Columbine directed the view towards Astikai. The planet would soon block their line of sight, but until then, she watched them fight. Having come straight out of warp velocity, Astikai hadn't needed time to accelerate. She was within standard engagement range.

The sun brilliantly backlit the scene of her single vessel giving its all against the massive defenses arrayed against it. Even the greatest of battleships could not have stood against the barrage. But the decider of the battle would not be who had more guns, but who had the power that could only be described as god-like.

The Thunderhawk shook wildly as a trail of shells traced its way down the craft's length, before the vessel jinked to the side and dodged the well-placed line. From ahead came a swarm of missiles that were only barely avoided by a well-placed roll. Their pilot had been said to be one of the best around, and as though the gods of Chaos watched this battle in person, they sought to prove that beyond any doubt.

One of the gunships caught flame, as a pair of fighters stuffed it full of plasma, ripping it apart in a hail of blue bolts. Then another died, as a pack of missiles tore the armor away and left it a field of debris. There was only one person who could save them now. Luckily enough, it was all part of a plan. Columbine had the clairvoyant focus in, desperately trying to gaze the top of the vessel.

Columbine liked to think that she could have seen Astikai. That she did see Astikai. If only for the sake of gazing upon the one who simultaneously brought wonder, hope, despair, and terror to their heart. She would have given many things to see the moment it occurred. Luckily, this operation was not one of those myriad things. Otherwise, Columbine would have tossed it away merely to see close-up the moment Astikai brought destruction to all in her path.

She could only imagine Astikai smirking as she watched the collective defenses, enough to halt a fleet in its tracks, come close to breaking the shields of her ship. From there, it would be only a split-second and a flash of light before she was gone.

Despite the sun, a thing that the clairvoyant easily turned down the light of, Columbine could see clearly the brilliant flash that preceded it all. Then it was time. In about the time it took for Columbine to blink her eyes, the first detonations were already rising from the shipyards.

Like worms possessed by daemons, they burrowed through one ship only to emerge from another. The volley seemed somehow more powerful than the one Columbine last saw, as void fields flashed one after another, only holding out for the slightest of moments before giving way.

It was complete destruction. Columbine felt a sense of twisted awe in her breast as it came to her mind that before her very eyes, tens of thousands of people were dying. It was a massacre, on a scale seen only in great events such as exterminatus.

Despite being thousands of kilometers away, the twisting bolts of light made their way through the yards, ripping through everything. Nothing could stop them. Not the strongest of void fields, nor the sturdiest of armors. Fighters that jinked and swerved from side to side were wiped from existence, disintegrated by the bolts.

The Thunderhawks swerved hard to the side as the bolts came dangerously close. They were only a hundred kilometers from the planet's atmosphere. But now, everything to their port side was demolished or in chaos. Fighters had scrambled away, ships had run, gun crews had abandoned their posts.

The previously chaotic rush to the planet was now strangely silent. Though there was no sound in space, it was as though the gods had come together and decide that no more would anyone make the slightest of sounds. Everyone was too caught up in the shock and awe of the devastation they had witnessed.

One of the people sitting in the Thunderhawk with Columbine made perhaps the most poignant comment of them all. With only three words, she perfectly summarized what everyone wanted to know. She gave voice to hundreds of thousands of souls who could barely move their mouths.

"What is she?"

After any great explosion, everything in the area around the blast is pushed away by the titanic force, even air. So it is that any such great detonation creates a massive vacuum, into which the air will rush back with furious force. The world was like that now.

The two remaining Thunderhawks made their way through a vacuum of motion. It all came rushing back in an instant. Suddenly space was filled with fire once again. More and more missiles poured forth. This did not look like two parties on two different missions. It appeared to be one party on one mission.

Fighters dove in from all angles, but the atmosphere was only seconds away. "We need to decelerate!" The pilot cried.

"Accelerate!" Columbine replied. _Shield up!_ The shield generator extended her shield around the gunship, just in time to stop a pair of laser lances from piercing the vessel. _Get her cubes._ She then ordered.

"We're going to burn up!" the pilot screamed.

"I have come too far to burn up on entry!" Columbine screamed into the vox, before standing up. She leapt to the ladder and burst through the hatch into the upper section of the gunship. Jumping to the cockpit, Columbine threw open the door, "Accelerate." She spoke quietly right beside the pilot, "If we don't slam right into the atmosphere, we're going to be blasted away. " The pilot gave her a glance.

He sounded like an experienced man. "You people are insane," He muttered, following the orders. "If we all die, it's on you, alright?"

"Sure," Columbine agreed with a grin, "Sure." The other Thunderhawk died in a fiery ball just then. They were truly alone now. "I hope you can stay alive till it's time for us to go."

"I hope so too," he remarked. _Shields to maximum power, cover everything about to hit the atmosphere. Make sure she stays alive and conscious. We're halfway there._ The magnetic locks on her boots kept her steady, but Columbine still braced herself as the seconds ran down.

The entire ship recoiled from the force of the impact. Columbine felt like a telekine hit her head on. A bright flash came as the shield slammed against the opposing barrier of the atmosphere. Without that protection, the Thunderhawk probably would have been smashed apart by the impact. _Linking,_ Dvasia announced, _adding magical power to the shield._ An irregular ability, but Columbine had already figured these girls to be full of surprises.

Around the gunship, the shield burned a bright orange. Still, the engines pushed the ship faster and faster. Behind the speeding comet that was the Thunderhawk, their pursuers banked away as fast as they could. Still, a few of the space fighters were caught in the well and yanked down by the cruel force of gravity. Ahead of these unlucky souls, the Thunderhawk blazed a fiery trail through the morning sky of Cyprus.

Metal groaned, creaked, and shook under the stress. The rattling made it feel like the entire craft was going to rip apart at the seams. Then the worst of it was over. Only to be replaced by the flashes of explosions against the shield. "Too fast to maneuver!" the pilot screamed. Ground-based batteries cast their shots into the air as the earth began to approach at a discomforting speed.

 _Everyone, move this thing!_ Columbine screamed. She could see a multi-colored outline form around the ship, as she laid her own hand on the outside. Over the vox, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "We'll come in low over Nicosia! Dodge the incoming fire while bringing us to something relatively horizontal! We cannot crash! "

The impossibility of the actions made them almost laughable, as the Thunderhawk began to jink and swerve through the sky like it was a puppet on strings. But amazingly, it worked. The flashes of cannon fire, lances, and missiles came all around the gunship as it started to level out, only a dozen miles over the sprawling city. Only a few scraped the shield. _Dvasia! Tamashii! Dreadnought now!_ The two girls rushed to the post, while Columbine jumped back down from the cockpit. _Four groups. Hjalma leads four, Ingwe leads four, then Selenca another four. I'm with Ushio._

Everyone stood and summoned their weapons in unison. The clairvoyant established a clear picture of the projected landing site. _Estimating twenty-six magical girls. Several thousand guardsman already deployed._ Came the telepath. The Thunderhawk was leveled out, and the shield dropped. One second, Columbine was standing in the compartment of the ship, and the next second she was in the middle of a street.

 _Everyone fire in all directions for two seconds. Scatter into your groups, Hjalma to the east, Ingwe to the north, Selenca to the west, I'll go to the south with the dreadnought. Everyone that is not a friendly is a valid target. Try not to kill any girls until we confirm the target. After that, take no prisoners, show no mercy._ Columbine ordered, firing at full auto towards a nearby building.

In the maelstrom of gunfire that followed, the PDF soldiers were quite literally ripped to shreds. Each bolter round blasted a man to pieces, and hundreds of them were fired. After a mere two seconds, the street seemed deserted, covered only in the dead and dying bodies of the platoon-sized force that had been present. Save for the twelve foot tall armored knight making its way down a street, all the magical girls had cleared the ground level and taken to the rooftops.

Columbine leapt upwards, flipping over a tank shell that went screaming under her. The bolter in her hand sent the soldiers around the large boxy vehicle scrambling for cover, but half never made it anywhere. A buzzing sound sliced through the din of the remaining five tanks loosing their shells, as a line of Gatling shells made their way up the street, pummeling each tank in unison, before quick bursts blew out the fronts of the surrounding buildings.

Ushio stumbled along behind Columbine, firing whenever she could. _Find her!_ Columbine ordered, _we need to know who we're looking for, else she'll end up dead!_ The girl gritted her teeth as she spun on her heel to dodge a shell that went whirling past her face, as she could already feel the enemy telepaths starting their attacks. Two of them, for certain. Meanwhile, Ushio set to work, hoping that Columbine could keep her safe. Divining took up more power than she'd like, and it was hard to even devote other consciousnessess to fighting while doing it, especially in this context.

All she could do was look forwards into the future, and hope that she found the fate of the girl that they were supposed to find. From there, she could work backwards and perhaps locate exactly where they'd find her. Of course, that was only assuming that she saw the correct future, and no vision of a diviner was ever, ever guaranteed.

Even in this context, where things seemed to be coming together so well that they could be compared to pieces on a chessboard, nothing was certain. Ushio recalled Columbine's words on fate, and realized that more than anything the girl had ever said before, they were true.

* * *

Her eyes hadn't left Alicia all the way to Nicosia. There wasn't anything else to look at, and the girl was far more important at this point than anything else that may draw her attention. If their dreams, nightmares in truth, foretold something greater, then there was plenty reason to be afraid.

But as they were, all the two could hope to do was defeat the enemy. Even if amongst them was the thing that terrified Alicia. To the other side of Meryet sat Lucine. The girl kept her hand covering Meryet's, despite knowing that her companion would never take her eyes off the one she wanted to protect.

 _We're all blind in our own ways,_ Lucine supposed. It wasn't a long trip to the largest city on the planet. Soon they were flying over the great urban sprawl, and Lucine found herself staring down out the open side door as the Thunderhawk decelerated. "Come along now," she said, taking a step and falling downwards.

Meryet was reluctant to let go of Alicia. Privately, the younger girl said, _Meryet. There's only so much you can do. We've talked about this, you know._ Silently, Meryet released the girl's hand. She stepped out, and Meryet quickly followed.

The only sensation that came along with the fall was the feeling that she was falling. Otherwise, the wind didn't register at all on her thick armor, and there wasn't the slightest doubt in her mind of her ability to halt her decent. The squad was gathered on a street corner, just a few blocks away from the spaceport.

Tentheta was in the center of them. Everyone was armored, their weapons already summoned. _We have effectively free reign to destroy the enemy. Any orders from Eschaton override us, but otherwise we are free to engage at will._ A detailed map of the city opened up in their minds, as Tentheta began to lay out the plan. _We don't know their numbers, but we do know that one will get here before the other. If we go by the accounts of Dusk Servants operating in Nibelung, the ship heading straight for the planet has about fifty girls on it. The one shooting by we don't know about. But we don't really see why we need to worry about the one we know something about, because it's going to get destroyed._

Tentheta shrugged. All around them, the city was churning with motion and sound. Humans were evacuating into the shelters en masse, and while the streets were clogged and choked with the sheer weight of millions of bodies, the PDG did their best to assist with the evacuation. The availability of such structures meant that by the time the enemy came, in less than five minutes, many would be safe. But many others would be forced to hide out in what cover they could find, praying that a stray bullet or shell wouldn't end them. And in a battle between mage knights, the chances of such a death started to exponentially increase.

And now, the PDF was deploying throughout the city. Columns of tanks and guardsman took up positions, as artillery trained their guns on key positions throughout the metropolis. All the PDF soldiers knew that their individual lives mattered little, but if a blanket of lasfire made a knight make a bad dodge, so that a tank shell could knock her to the ground, so that the building could be blown out from under her, then maybe another knight could score an easy kill. The deaths of many of them were all but inevitable. But the difference they could potentially make was something that could not be passed up.

 _Of course, I doubt that they'd be so foolish to charge right in without some plan. It'd be stupid to think that the enemy is stupid._ Tentheta continued, as the circle of small figures seemed to be the only bastion of quiet and patience in a wild sea of action.

Meryet looked up to the sky. The events that occurred up there now would decide what happened below. _And all of you,_ Tentheta said. A sense of finality was in her voice. After this, the ship would pass by Cyprus, and the rush to protect the planet's surface would begin. _Alicia is one of us. She may be different, she may be from a different home, she may even be entirely different from you or me. But none of that matters. We are a squad. We are all fighting for the same cause in the end. If I ever find out that a single one of you treats Alicia differently because of what you think about her, I will personally see to it that not only the captain hears of this behavior, but the entirety of this chapter's upper echelons, so they know the kind of person you are._ No one doubted that she was telling the truth.

Her voice was formal and unemotional, as she started once again. _We've all been through battles before. We've all fought knights before. You all know your jobs, do them well. Protect people if you can, but don't give your lives for it._ Tentheta knew that she was hypocritical after her fiery speech in the defense of Alicia, but she also knew that she was just practical. _You're more valuable than a human could ever be. Now let's go._ In unison, they bent their knees and leapt upwards. Battles between girls always seemed to move upwards, but given their incredible maneuverability, it only made sense that would seek to find room in which to use it.

Meryet kicked off the side of the tall skyscraper, pushing herself upwards further. Another couple times, and now they were about a kilometer off the ground. The ten of them waited in various postures atop the building. Alicia stared up at the sky, as if she sought the void that was so utterly peaceful to her, and the screaming hell that lay beyond in which she seemed to find an even more serene state.

Meryet stood just behind. Every fiber of her being wished that she take all of Alicia's suffering away. But that wasn't going to happen. The best she could do was fight with everything she had, to protect the girl. In front of the both of them, Lucine dangled her legs off the edge of the tall building, casually leaning supported by her arms as though this was sightseeing trip.

The sun was just making its way into the sky. The full extent of the bright orb was visible, but the light was still just a bit off from the full intensity of the midday. Sparse clouds in the blue sky finished off the idyllic image. If one judged by only what they could see, the world was at peace.

It all ended in a moment. Every single magical girl on the planet was connected with the system-wide network. All of them were devoting a fragment of a mind to watching the clairvoyants' reports, to ensure that no important information was missed.

So all of them saw the bright flash of light, enough to equal the magnificence of the system's star. They all stood there in silence and awe. Some of them started to whisper prayers. With jaws disabled for the sake of maximum energy conservation, their telepathic murmurs drifted into the minds of everyone. A surreal sensation came to every single girl who watched the shipyards be torn apart.

It couldn't be real. That was the consensus for the first few nanoseconds. A simple denial of reality, one that quickly gave way to the realization of the horrific truth that what they saw was completely and entirely real. It was not the realm of nightmares that they gazed upon. They saw their own world.

Meryet looked down at Alicia. No one else had dared to speak to her about this. They did not dare to tread on territory that was Meryet's. Barely remembering to make the message private, Meryet asked shakily, _is that what you saw?_

Alicia shook her head. _No, that is not what I saw. That girl is merely a vessel. The power within her is what scares me._ She seemed unable to believe what she saw, though her dreams had warned her. _I thought I was ready for anything, but this is power equal to, perhaps greater than, a daemon lord, yet that girl is completely normal._

Meryet took a deep breath. Then the collective girls took note of the Thunderhawks accelerating rapidly towards the planet. _Can we oppose them?_ It wasn't merely Meryet who thought this. They all posed that question, or something similar.

Meryet balled her fists. Her eyes were focused upwards, staring at the line which the Thunderhawks would follow at this point. _But…I don't care what kind of power you have. I'll still fight._ She said the words, and she believed them with every bit of her mind. It wasn't something that would back down on. Such a promise was not something Meryet would give up on. She'd never backed down a promise. _Today won't be the first time._

* * *

In a clash between two average armies, the battle followed a format that had been relatively the same for thousands upon thousands of years. The forces would clash as two great groups, definitely breaking down and maneuvering as the encounter progressed, sometimes in chaotic ways, but rarely was order entirely lost.

But to a normal observer watching a battle between groups of magical girls, especially knights, the battle adopted an entirely different format. It looked to be a swirling, constantly changing whirlwind of bright flashes, thunderous detonations, and furious melees. In all directions traveled stray projectiles, ripping up everything around, making the area resemble more the site of a tornado than that of a battle.

Even a small group could easily bring ruin to an entire city, given the time and unopposed. But here, the invaders were most certainly opposed. There were four groups. Nineteen girls total. With the forty girls available split amongst two knight squads and then a unit of the PDG and Inquisition, the battle seemed to be already decided.

Projecting a stream of magically-enhanced bolter shells, the weapon was like a massive drill. It could pound its way through the thickest armor of the heaviest tanks available. There weren't any super-heavies, or even any larger models, but they couldn't do very much.

The mech had an impressive jumping capability, aided by thrusters to glide over the shells and lasbeams flung at it. A shield that withstood shots from tank destroyers guarded it from harm, and none could tell how thick the armor beneath was.

Meryet had concluded that no matter what else, there was some mind guiding the actions of the enemy. A single person, not just the separate leaders. If there wasn't, then their actions were more coordinated and planned than the oldest veterans.

She smashed through the wall of the building, her own legs have propelled her through the thick concrete. Rolling aside as a short burst of gunshots chased her, Meryet ripped a grenade from her belt. Holding it to herself as she stood back against a wall, Meryet listened carefully. The din of the battle outside almost overpowered the sound, but she knew when to move.

She slid outwards, planting her hand and twisting herself to slam the grenade back towards the one who threw it. Her own device followed. The girl flipped backwards as both exploded, raising her bolter and firing a burst down the length of the building's front.

 _You're clear,_ Alicia called. Meryet leapt forwards, slamming through the wall with her shoulder, firing at full-auto at the girl who knew leapt up the side of the building. Shells punished her armor, the ability to dodge decreased by the illusions brought to her by Alicia.

The bright flash of a whip signaled Lucine's strike, while Meryet heard from another squadmate the sound of a missile firing. In midflight, the missile detonated, while Lucine's whip pulled back to block another two tomahawks. Meryet was already leaping to cover, unleashing her fire at the top of the building, but a stream of fire from further down the street forced her back.

There the other three in this group, making a tactical retreat from the other six members of Meryet's squad at the same time as they provided covering fire to their comrades. Leaping up to a nearby roof, the other two converged. Tentheta bringing up the others from behind, the two groups once again threw themselves at one another.

Or they would have. At least the Fallen Angels advanced fast, pouring fire into the retreating traitors, who had their own shield and return fire. But with the greater numbers of Meryet's squad, the enemy didn't have a chance.

 _Behind us,_ the clairvoyant saw it first. Meryet landed and spun on her heel, dragging her line of fire across the flight path of a pair of girls who had moved behind them. One with a grenade launcher, the other with some ancient repeating rifle. Bursting in the air, the grenades let out a thick smoke that blocked out all light.

Eyes flashed, Meryet found the effect partially counteracted, and holstered her weapon as she leapt to the previous roof. Bow flashing into her hands, she slammed into one of the girls. The force of the blow sent her stumbling back, before Meryet turned to fire an arrow right into her chest. The traitor's arm barely stopped the shot, before Meryet sent another one through her stomach. A lightning-fast kick sent the reeling knight flying from the roof.

A couple of bullets deflected off her armor's shielding as Meryet turned to dodge, firing in reply as the girl rolled off the roof. Then the building was collapsing beneath Meryet, explosives from the falling girl blew out the building's supports. _Got you,_ Lucine informed her, and Meryet held out her left hand, which her comrade's whip wrapped around and pulled her upwards, right as a pair of grenades blew up beneath her.

Then Nebet and Perchuhi, the electromancer, were rushing forwards under Nebet's cloaking. As they flew over the street the two enemy girls were falling down, they didn't get a chance to attack. Both were punished by long-range fire, hailing from hundreds of meters away. Their shields hit, they retreated on the ground, Perchuhi casting a series of arcing bolts around the corner as Lucine and Meryet fell down beside them.

 _Let me,_ Alicia said, touching down as Meryet yanked grenades from her belt. She could barely see the tiny mote of magic that went zipping through the air and around the corner, to explode in an overloading array of sensations. Meryet glanced around. _Nebet, Perchuhi, Lucine, through the alley and circle around them, Alicia and I go right around the corner._

They split, with the other half of the squad trying to chase down the divided unit. Still, Meryet had to wonder how the enemy knew about Nebet's movement. _The only way they could have known is if they guessed, but that fire came from half a kilometer away. Whoever's in charge has to be a genius._

The grenades exploded as Meryet and Alicia turned the corner with guns blazing. Their bolts passed through thin air. The two girls were nowhere to be seen. Then there was something to be seen. And that was the fire coming from the middle of the street, then from all around as the sources split up and broke away from the invisibility field. Four, then five separate sources of fire, all circling around as Lucine and the other two leapt back towards their isolate companions.

Meryet kicked Alicia back into a nearby building as she rolled aside, firing desperately all around herself. Nebet tackled her down, invisibly field guarding her as Lucine and Perchuhi leapt up to engage their new foes. The Blood Angels were now shifting position, moving towards the Fallen Angels. These five were the other group, while another group of five were busy fighting the rest of Meryet's squad.

In a split second, half the enemy force had shifted their position. It wasn't good discipline. _Someone is telling them exactly what to do, when to do it, where to do it._ Meryet thought, _some invisible chessmaster is playing us all._

It had been maybe five minutes since the battle was properly joined. Then they all received word of the Thunderhawks descending from the other ship. The ship that had destroyed every orbital defense in its path. _Shifting all units to Nicosia!_ Eschaton announced. _Hold out for fifteen minutes. PDG units, withdraw behind PDF Line Gamma. Fallen Angels, pull towards the Blood Angels. As you draw close, move over them and trap them between the two of you._

Meryet leapt backwards, firing as she pulled back with her comrades. Even as they retreated, the enemy knew exactly which corners to duck behind, which buildings to fire into. It wasn't just someone reacting to what was occurring. They were being outthought by the second. _This isn't just a diviner._ Meryet thought, _maybe that power is helping, but there is more._

* * *

Columbine stood almost still. The most she'd do was walk from one edge of the tall building to the other. Dvasia and Tamashii's splendid use of the dreadnought meant the PDF and PDG forces in the area were too involved with that to interfere with her.

Down at the entire battle, she stared, watching the three other groups battle with the enemy. Updated by steady reports from telepaths and clairvoyants, she knew every second of the conflict as it progressed. It wasn't hard outmaneuvering them. They didn't seem to understand that they weren't doing anything innovative.

Columbine had seen it all before. A stealth generator counterattacking two girls off-balance, dividing and conquering, layering successive attacks atop one another, even the little encirclement that the loyalists were in the process of attempting right now were all well known to Columbine.

 _Hjalma, Ingwe, the Fallen Angels will jump back and try to encircle you. As they do that, Hjalma jump to the north and Ingwe to the south. Focus all your fire on the Blood Angels as they leap in. They'll hit, then the Fallen Angels will, then both will pull back to try and catch you in a crossfire. Fire for three seconds as the Blood Angels leap in, then Hjalma teleport behind the Blood Angels, and Ingwe push a direct attack from the angle you'll have. Selenca, pull away from the PDG and Inquisition, strike down at the Blood Angels. Dvasia, Tamashii, move in towards the Fallen Angels, keep them distracted._

Columbine went silent to her force, merely asking Ushio, _do you have it yet?_

 _Almost, the image is almost here. I can't say this for certain, but it's either a Fallen or Blood Angel._ Columbine snapped out an order to kill none of them, only disable for the time being. It made the battle harder, but it wasn't very difficult to begin with, at least for now.

With Astikai's troops arriving any second now, the battle was going to completely change. Furthermore, Columbine was perfectly aware that in fifteen minutes, endurance would start to take a toll, and the superior numbers and organization of the chapter knight squads would start to beat out her tactics. There was only so much Columbine could do, much of it came down to the soldiers under her command.

Suddenly the sky started to light up with flashes of light. _She's coming,_ Columbine sighed. She shook her head, summoning her bolter. A quick check on the _Wellgunde's_ position revealed that the vessel would return in about fifteen more minutes, maybe a bit more. That didn't give them much time.

Ushio gasped. Columbine's eyes lit up, seeing the image the same time she did. _A Fallen Angel!_ Ushio screamed, though their connected minds knew everything.

Columbine instantly ordered, _Blood Angels may be killed. Watch the Fallen Angels, only disable them._ As she watched, her tactic was perfectly executed. Hjalma and Ingwe split up as planned, dealing destruction to the Blood Angels that hastily rushed forwards, before rushing inwards to try and deliver the deathblow. _Five seconds, then pull back, reform, and withdraw one hundred meters to the east. Take care of the PDF, then wait. One group will teleport right on top, the other will attack from all sides. When that happens, teleport everyone two hundred meters to the west. We're buying time till positive-_

Columbine couldn't speak for a second. There wasn't a name, of course, nor even an exact appearance. _When they teleport on top of you, split into your groups and move north and south, break through the cordon around you, and strike as hard as you can at the Blood Angels. Dvasia, Tamashii, move to the Fallen Angels. Selenca, continue holding off the others. Everyone, find the shortest Fallen Angel and capture her. I'm on my way now._

Columbine was about to leap away, but something caught in her eye. Above her, on an even higher building, her eyes caught sight of a pair of figures. Columbine's own eyes increased to their highest magnification, zooming in as much as was possible.

Two cloaked figures stood there. One in dark blue, and another in pitch black. No matter how hard Columbine looked, she couldn't see their faces. As though darkness coalesced around them to shroud them from recognition. Columbine felt like they looked at her. Just like they looked at the rest of the city. Silent, motionless observers.

Then the top of the skyscraper exploded. Columbine found it unlikely that a stray shell found its way there, but that's all it could have been. When the smoke cleared, there was no one there at all.

* * *

She soared through the sky, leaping into the chaos of the ongoing battle right as the dreadnought joined from the opposite direction. _Hjalma, Ingwe, go for the Blood Angels. Tamashii, with me._ Columbine and Ushio leapt straight for the Fallen Angels, while the dreadnought crashed through a pair of buildings to set upon them.

Columbine's hands started to glow an ethereal blue as she landed atop a roof. She looked at the others standing there. Right before her eyes were disrupted, an event Ushio warned her of, she saw the girl. Short in stature. She had to be the one. Beside her stood a girl with a green bow.

Then the illusions hit, but Columbine powered through them. She wasn't sure why she cared so much. This wasn't about winning the battle. She knew that she could survive this and escape easily. But catching this girl was something else entirely.

Perhaps for Ushio, perhaps for her own sake, but certainly not for the sake of her hosts. She had not an ounce of trust in them. Her own sake… _I want to be immortalized, but that is through glory, not through some quirk of an experiment._ Ushio's sake, _I don't understand why but…_ Columbine was punched back by the archer, before ducking under the next strike. A brief hit with one of her firsts jogged her opponent's memory, sending her reeling for a split second that let Columbine pounce for her target.

The girl dodged aside, before Columbine dropped her bolter and reached out with her palm. Minds synched, Ushio knew exactly what to do. A burst of bolter fire staggered the girl, and her hand made contact with the girl's head. Then Columbine was slammed away by the archer, barely deflecting and arrow to her chest.

 _Who's this!?_ Meryet screamed to Alicia, realizing that the girl was trying to do something. _Some kind of memory manipulator? Is she after you?_

Alicia stepped back behind Meryet, firing back at the other traitor knight, who know shifted to stand behind her own companion. _She's not the frightful thing but…she acts like she wants me._

Meryet steadied herself, staring down her opponent. A single message to her. _What do you want with her?_ Meryet demanded, knocking an arrow to her glowing bow.

 _Does it matter?_ Columbine replied.

Meryet shook her head, _you're right there. I don't care who you are, why you're here, or what you think you're doing. You won't win._

It was Columbine's turn to shake her head. _I'm afraid you're wrong._ She adopted a fighting stance, baring only her glowing hands. _I do not lose to weak lapdogs of a false god, without any strength of their own._

 _Says the girl praying to a god of her own,_ Meryet replied, noting the markings on the girl's armor. The exchange had lasted a little past two seconds. In the sky, the morning sun still cast down its slightly off-yellow rays. From above came new foes for both sides.

But on this rooftop, time seemed to have come to a halt. Only time would tell which side would be victorious. And time cemented its place as tyrant in that manner, for it seemed to take pleasure from extending suffering. It was something only time could do.

Two wishes clashed on that morning. And thanks to the cruelty of time, neither would end there.


	16. To Protect Those Precious People

The world was on fire. All around, the world was scorched by roaring flames. Coalescing into a single great roar, the sound of the burning drowned out everything but the occasional cry or scream. The natural blackness of the night sky was vaguely visible, but the embers and flames that reached into the sky lit the night with a hellish light.

"They couldn't protect anything." Said the egirl in front of her. Standing just a bit taller in her, and encased in a suit of black armor, she gazed unwavering at the flames.

Beside her was a little girl. Blonde hair was matted with dirt and ashes, and her body was similarly stained. Her clothes were burnt and ruined. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

All around them, the ground was covered with bodies. Ruined buildings nursed fires that scorched away the dead, but the remains were still barely visible. Most were humans, normal-looking. But intermixed with the humans were monsters. The wounds that had slain them ranged from holes through the chest to complete eviscerations.

Scaly creatures with multiple limbs, looking half-insectoid while resembling reptiles. They looked like things out of nightmares. But they were dead now. Yet, so were the prey that they had come to hunt.

"Your "Goddess", your "Imperium", couldn't save your family." The girl said. She was angry. At what she knew to be right and necessary yet still hated at the same time. Her head turned to look at the little girl. "Do you want to be able to protect people?"

Her tears stopped. Eyes filled with sorrow and despair stared at the soulless helmet visor. Then the metal faded away, revealing a human face, with features so much like those of the little girl. Barely standing, the little girl nodded.

"Then, come with me." The armored girl reached out her hand. Shakily, the little girl grasped it. But when she did, she knew that she had made the right choice.

* * *

She slid around the arrows loosed by the other girl. Even as the archer withdrew, Columbine pushed forwards, the glow of her hands intensifying by the second. Just a single second of contact would be enough to overload the girl's consciousness by bringing the full weight of all her memories crashing to the forefront of her mind.

But her opponent understood that, it seemed. She kept her distance, forcing Columbine back with well-aimed shots from her bow. Columbine couldn't keep this going forever, but she knew that it was not necessary. All she needed was the little girl. This one was irrelevant. If she could be killed, it would be good, but it wasn't needed.

However, with only Ushio available as support, there would be a problem if the dreadnought couldn't keep the other Fallen Angels distracted. At the moment it was, but their target seemed to be a better fighter than Ushio. And worse, Astikai's troops were about to land.

A brief glance up at the sky revealed the Thunderhawks swooping in low over the city. Teleportations were already being tracked. Everyone had been sent in. _Astikai isn't here,_ Columbine knew that. If she was, then it was only because she actually needed to be there. She wouldn't hesitate to make her servants do the work for her.

The five squads were already splitting up through the city. The Tzeentchians, Columbine figured Ciuatl wasn't present either, and Delyth's squad were heading for the ongoing battle between the Blood Angels, and the forces Columbine commanded. Clementine was moving to hold the center of the city, so it would only make sense that Cherepia and Margareta were coming right for Columbine. Fifteen seconds tops.

Columbine redoubled her attack for a brief couple seconds, forcing her opponent back, then she broke off. _Ushio, shoot her! I'll get the target._ She put all her energy into a leap that carried her all the way back to her companion.

 _Hjalma, Ingwe, Selenca, converge in the north-east section of the city, then form a spearhead and drive down to my position. I almost have the target, but we don't have much time before Astikai takes control of the situation._

She landed in a cloud of dust raised from her forceful impact, right before a series of colors played before her eyes. Columbine managed to spot the target before the illusions began, and successfully focusing on her, kept up the chase. Her link with Ushio told her the arrow was coming, and while she slid under it, it only gave the target and chance to leap to the street below and then slide into a building.

Cursing, Columbine leapt down, but it was too late. Around her, she saw several explosives pop out of nowhere. She knew exactly who did that. A great flame rose into the sky. The explosions tossed her to the ground, leveling the surrounding buildings at the same time.

Columbine stumbled to her feet, looking frantically all around. Seven girls stood aiming their weapons at her. One sat atop an outcropping of rubble, legs crossed. Her helmet dissipated, and Columbine's eyes found a smug grin framed by long black hair.

"Well, looks you lost, dear old Columbine," Cherepia mocked. Columbine gritted her teeth, desperately looking for a solution. Margareta was slamming into the Fallen Angels now, and she wouldn't be so kind to Columbine. "But let me ask you a question, which I think represents the beliefs of all eight of us." She paused, then asked, "Are you still the Columbine we know?"

Surprised, it took a few seconds for her to reply. But she spoke as soon as she found one. "I don't think I've changed very much at all. If anything, I've only gained more conviction in my beliefs." She explained. A mental prayer begged for that to be the correct answer.

Then all the knights lowered their weapons. "Then consider our squad reunited." Cherepia stood and leapt down to stand in front of Columbine. To the blonde's absolute and total amazement, she saluted. She was followed by the other seven.

Columbine returned it, breathless. The reunion was interrupted, however. "So that's how it is?!" called Margareta, standing atop a nearby building, leaning on her sword. "I ought to have seen this one coming, but I wondered if Cherepia would have just a little fun before anything else." She shrugged. "No matter." Her sword spun about as she kicked it back up into her hand.

 _Columbine!_ Ushio shouted, leaping down from the roof above. She landed shakily, yet not worried of the girl's around her. _We have a problem._ Distracted by Cherepia, Columbine assessed the situation once again. Margareta was engaged with the Fallen Angels, while the dreadnought was pulling back.

 _The target,_ Columbine announced. She sent the image to her squadmates as she said, _get her alive._ Then to Tamashii and Dvasia, _keep anyone away from us. We're almost done here._ Meanwhile, the other fifteen were currently driving southwards through the PDF troops, pursued by Delyth, while the Tzeentchians were busy fighting the Blood Angels.

The _Wellgunde_ was almost circled back around. They didn't have much time now. But Columbine knew that the end of this chapter was near.

* * *

She desperately held onto the girl's hand as they leapt through the ruins. Meryet knew for certain that the clairvoyant had to have a bead on her, if there was one. In that case, then they couldn't hide, only run. And even then, they didn't have a teleporter.

So in that way, this was already a lost cause. Ten girls appeared around her. The first one to strike was the one who had previously fought her. Perhaps one of the chief leaders behind all of this. Meryet ducked under the hand aimed at her throat, the arrow knocked in her bow loosing into the girl's stomach.

A loud crack rose from the defensive field around her armor as the projectile impacted, unable to break through the shield. But the power was enough to stop the girl in her tracks for an instant, while Meryet instantly nocked another shot and fired before the next strike could be launched.

A precise chop of her opponent's hand destroyed the arrow, before she rushed in once again. Meryet panicked as she saw Alicia isolated, fired upon from multiple directions. Then a cracking sound from above knocked away the volley, driving back the one rushing in to grab the girl as well. Lucine landed amidst the cloud of dust her attack raised, grabbing Alicia and leaping away.

She wouldn't get far at all. Meryet rolled aside, knocking the next strike aside with her bow, before spinning around to deliver the next arrow. At point blank range, it pierced armor and impaled the traitor's right arm. Then two arrows were knocked. As the punch of her opponent hit her arm, Meryet fired both.

Neither struck the traitor in front of her. They flew into the air, heading for the single girl blocking Lucine's path upwards. Already struck by fire from below, Lucine had tried to shield Alicia by blocking her from the shots, but now she simply delivered the girl to the one who came from above.

Bolter grasped in her left hand, the traitor knight calmly pulled the trigger till both were falling towards the ground. She flipped over and grabbed Alicia, tossing her to the side, before a battle axe flashed into her right hand as she came down. A whip flashed upwards and knocked aside the bolter, but the axe was thrown, burying itself a couple inches into Lucine's armor. She hit the ground, and the axe was resummoned as the traitor came down. Meryet flinched not only from the impact of the traitor's fist as she saw the girl land. She didn't see Lucine's fate, not with the next blow coming for her.

Above her on the buildings, Meryet saw another fifteen or so girls appear. But they, as the others did, merely waited. This fight was between Meryet and their leader. _Meryet, I'm sorry, there's no way we can break through them!_ Tentheta shouted. _Reinforcements are almost here!_

Meryet didn't reply. Then the next fist flew for her face. They had Alicia now. In a handful of milliseconds, Meryet felt rage boil up in her body, then come flying outwards. Her left hand flicked out, dissipating her bow as she blocked the punch. Then she pivoted inwards, barely dodging the traitor's other punch, as an arrow flashed into her right hand. _Why are you doing this?!_ Meryet screamed at the girl, her fury shaking her opponent's mind.

It was buried into the girl's gut, before Meryet moved her entire body, slamming her left fist into the traitor's face. A sizable dent was left in the helmet as she stumbled backwards, but the girl merely converted the momentum. She slammed her right foot down and brought her left leg up, using what remained of her stumble to kick across Meryet's face.

Then, the traitor leapt from her right foot and brought her left leg back, providing the perfect energy to launch a flying kick into Meryet's chest. _You wouldn't understand even if I told you,_ the enemy said. Meryet crashed against the wall of the building behind her as the bow returned to her hands.

 _I don't think you understand anything._ Meryet replied. Reinforcements were but five seconds away. She pulled back the bow, firing as the knight rushed at her. The traitor stretched out her left arm, putting it entirely in the way of the shot. The arrow went all the way through and came her shoulder, effectively destroying the arm.

But her right arm came it, grabbing onto Meryet's face. Then their minds were locked together, as the traitor sought to drag out Meryet's memories, while Meryet merely replied with pure rage. They were not completely connected, as it would be with a normal telepath, but there was still feedback. Meryet tried to think of every memory of pain and suffering possible, channeling all of that right at her foe.

Her head screamed in pain, but she fought to remain conscious. It couldn't have been longer than a few seconds, but she stayed awake. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath as the traitor stumbled back.

 _I understand many things,_ replied the knight.

 _You don't know what it means to even try to protect someone!_ Meryet screamed, visor staring up at the lifeless glass of her foe.

The traitor froze. A tremble seemed to run through her body. Then another girl leapt in from behind and grabbed her. She had to practically drag her away, right as the line of buildings down the street to the left collapsed. Rolling through were a trio of tanks.

The street suddenly roared with the detonations of their shells, as the faster bolters and lascannons on their sides sought the magical girls. Pouring out alongside them were several dozen PDF soldiers, laying down a blanket of lasfire. Ruby red beams filled the air, and the traitors found it a good idea to retreat. They disappeared in a couple of flashes of light, as the guardsman rushed forwards, and then the street was filled with magical girls as well.

Meryet stumbled to her feet, rushing through the mass towards Lucine. The girl's body was motionless on the ground. There was a large dent in her chest armor, and a bloody gash that ran the length of her abdomen. A dent was in her helmet on the right side, while she appeared to have lost the left side of her face to a brutal blow.

But her soul gem was intact. She was alive. _Sorry,_ Lucine said solemnly, trying to move her arm towards Meryet. Meryet moved to take her hand in her own.

Despair filling up her mind, she said in horror, _they took her._

* * *

Columbine froze. The girl's words. _You don't know what it means to even try to protect someone!_ Her mind focused entirely on those words. For a few seconds, she couldn't comprehend anything else. Not the enemy reinforcements coming, not their mission, nothing.

 _Columbine!_ Ushio screamed. She felt it too, only her separation from the girl allowed her to see things clearer. _We have to go!_ Ushio cried as she grabbed Columbine, pulling her a few feet then leaping away with her. They had the target.

They teleporter away as two groups, while Columbine struggled to wrap her head around what had been said. The Thunderhawk was pulling back around after a trip around the whole continent. With the enemy air force wrapped up battling Astikai's forces, it had gone effectively unhindered. The man's flying only assisted his survival.

And there it was in the distance, streaking back over the city. Flying over the buildings on wings of fire, the dreadnought ensured their escaped, unloading its payload of missiles upon any PDF forces with anti-air capability.

 _Columbine, cut this out! Think!_ Ushio screamed. The pressure from what was effectively her own mind got her together for a few seconds. "Don't slow down!" She screamed to the pilot, "The hold can fit the dreadnought if we teleport it right!"

"And if you don't we're dead." But he knew that other magical girls were right on their tale. "But if we don't teleport it at all, we're also dead."

 _Negative, too dangerous._ Dvasia said. _Too high risk for the potential gain._ On the street below, the hatch of the machine popped open, and both girls leapt out. _It is far safer to abandon the dreadnought._ Tamashii had the same conclusion.

As the Thunderhawk roared by at a speed approaching that of escape velocity, the twenty-seven girls disappeared. Then the gunship was climbing upwards. According to all their calculations, they would meet the _Wellgunde_ just as planned.

And below, it looked as though a star had been born as the plasma reactor, overloaded with a magical charge, touched off. Several hundred meters around the dreadnought were scorched in an instant.

But the battle that raged in the city was not yet over. However, with Cherepia's betrayal and the arrival of reinforcements, Astikai's troops were outnumbered and outgunned. Columbine watched the clairvoyant's and telepath's data half-mindedly, observing the forces begin to make their retreat.

No one ever desired a straight-up slugging match between knights. It always got very ugly for both sides, and this was no different. With Clementine's force anchoring the center of the city, there was no chance of a successful encirclement, not with such strong defenders prepared.

The damage to the city also had to be considered. So while the Imperial troops would continue to snipe at the traitors, taking potshots when they could, there was little they could do to prevent them from escaping as the Thunderhawks shot by and extracted them all.

But by then, Columbine had almost returned to the _Wellgunde._ As the vessel shot by the planet on the other side, the Thunderhawk slipped neatly into the hangar. The ship shot away from Cyprus, before it would begin the turn towards the vector that would take it away from Imperial space, and to the relative safety of the sectors beyond.

* * *

It had only been thirty minutes. But many parts of the city were in ruins. Wide swathes had been torn up, blown apart, or entirely reduced to rubble. The streets were covered with the dead and dying, with every magical girl in the city rushing around as fast as they could to save as many lives as possible.

Thousands and thousands had been forced to take refuge in what cover they could find, the warning to take cover having come too late. So many of them were now gone. Lost children and adults alike stumbled their way through streets that had once been pristine clean only half an hour before.

But the sun had risen. The sky was clear. Everything else was normal. The rest of the planet was completely untouched, as though nothing at all happened. Only the falling debris of the shattered shipyards above scarred the rest of the blue-green sphere.

The strange peace of it all starkly contrasted what had occurred. Meryet clasped tightly the man's cool hand. Every few seconds, a painful moan came from his body. Her other palm, gently glowing, was laid on his stomach, in which a shard of shrapnel was lodged.

Only a few seconds more and the blood flow would cease, the area temporarily magically preserved. "You'll be fine," Meryet promised him. The weight of what had just happened weighed down like a planet was resting on her shoulders. But she had sworn to protect Alicia, so the least she could do was try to protect others.

He tried to open his mouth, words almost making their way out. Meryet removed her palm, saying quietly, "Don't talk, it'll just hurt more. What I'm about to do is going to be painful, but it will be quick. You will survive, but I need to remove the shrapnel.

She didn't need the special power of her eyes to find the fragments, her normal magically-enhanced sight was enough to look in and spot them all. She unsheathed her knife and moved it to the hole in his flesh. It would have been easier for a healer to do it, their magic automatically removing anything rejected by the body, but they were too swamped with more important cases, and the internal bleeding here had to be stopped.

The man scream's joined those of others undergoing the field surgery, but Meryet moved quickly. She knew what she was doing. It wasn't long before all, even the tiniest pieces, had been removed. The knife was tossed aside and Meryet got to work sealing the wound. She was aware that the battle and its conclusion had driven her soul gem to the edge, but her armor's cube reserves had yet to be depleted. Meryet had a bit more time.

With the wound repaired, Meryet quickly slipped her arms under the man's body and leapt towards the nearest infirmary. "Where…are my children?" the man asked, in total awe after being so miraculously healed.

"I don't know," Meryet said, "You may be able to find them again." Her voice was solemn.

She ran into one of the tents, quickly moving to the nearest bed and depositing the man. A quick nod to the medic and then she was running out once more. At this point, it was all she could do. Alicia was lost, perhaps for good.

Meryet wanted so desperately to cry, but she didn't want to make anyone she was trying to save even more panicked. She was an angel. It wasn't her job to cry. But it also wasn't her job to fail.

* * *

Columbine knew full-well that sharing her mind wasn't the most pleasant experience at the moment. It's why she disconnected with Ushio as soon as they were back on the _Wellgunde,_ effectively tossing the girl out despite her concern.

As they disembarked from the Thunderhawk, Columbine ordered, _get the girl in the brig._ She glanced at the unconscious body, with long dark hair, and deep black eyes. Her jaw reactivated, she looked at Ushio, wondering, "Have you seen her before? Does she bring out any memory in you?"

Ushio thought for a few moments, then shook her head. "I don't feel like I have," She said, though she was annoyed by that. "We should talk to her," She suggested.

Columbine nodded, "We'll interrogate her as soon as the plan is set. It'll take a few hours to get into position to jump once again, so we have some time."

Hjalma stepped up beside her. "Well, it's great that your friends are here, but we don't currently have the quarters for them." The girl explained.

Columbine sighed. She called over Cherepia. "Is there any open space for them?" Columbine asked Hjalma.

Hjalma thought for a moment, "We could put them in the standard crew quarters. A bit cramped, they'll be, but we've taken some losses so there is room."

Cherepia nodded. "I think we can handle that, thank you. Besides, we're the ones imposing ourselves here." She went over to organize the others.

Columbine said to Hjalma, "Let's get to the bridge, we watch what Astikai does, make our final plan, and then we'll go talk to that girl."

* * *

Rather than turn all the way round, the _Wellgunde_ had instead slingshotted around Cyprus, making sure to pass above Astikai's plane of fire. Now they were heading outwards once more, plotting a course towards the frontier. Behind them, Astikai loomed as she pulled away from Cyprus, but she wouldn't get them in time.

 _It'll take us past Carthage. They'll certainly mobilize from there._ The navigator said. _I don't think we'll be able to fight them off, and they'll be ready for Astikai this time._

 _They still think we're on Astikai's side._ Columbine said. _There's not too much to say otherwise. So we'll have to consider that. If we go straight past Carthage while in warp, it'll be more dangerous, may take a bit longer, but we'll avoid danger._ Into her mind popped that image of the golden-haired girl, and suddenly she felt a desire to stay in the warp for as little time as was possible.

She continued, _our ultimate goal is to find a safe spot to dive into Ushio's memories and figure out her experiment. And in order to do that, we must lose Astikai somehow. And any imperials chasing us._ She took a deep breath. _So for now, we'll go directly by Carthage in the warp. We'll drop out at Numidia, beyond imperial control. Astikai has plenty of enemies, we might be able to find some help._

It was only a vague plan. But with no information, there was little they could do was but hope for the best.

* * *

The small room contained only a table and a pair of chairs. On the opposite side of the table from the door sat the chair in which the short girl with long dark hair was restrained. The door opened, and Columbine entered with Ushio in tow. It was shut, and the sound of locks clicking from the outside could be heard.

Fear was detectable just from looking at the girl, but she did her best to hide it, and didn't look like she would break anytime soon. Of course, the fear went both ways. Columbine felt her skin tingle just from being near the girl. _And she was a knight, is there seriously nothing abnormal about her?_

"So," Columbine immediately began, gesturing to Ushio. Both were out of their armor. "Do you know this girl?" The dark-haired girl looked at Ushio for a few seconds, and seemed ready to shake her head, but then suddenly there was a hint of recognition.

Columbine leapt across the table, glowing hand reaching out. Any stimulation to a mind's memories made her job easier, though it still wouldn't be pleasant for the subject. Her glowing palm grabbed tightly the girl's face, and Columbine started diving downwards to try and drag out every memory she could.

Then she screamed out for a second in fear and pain, before throwing herself backwards. She knocked over the chair behind her and tipped the table over as she hit the ground, staring up wide-eyed at the girl. Columbine breathed hard, her mouth desperately trying to form words.

"What happened?!" Ushio shouted, kneeling down beside her, "What'd she do?"

Barely able to choke out anything, Columbine said, "I don't know. I don't want to know." She calmed herself a little more, only saying, "But…it was like that girl in the dream. The one with the golden hair-" Suddenly Columbine's mind came to a horrific realization, "They…they look similar…" She whispered, not wanting to accept that.

Ushio gasped, "Columbine," She said in fright. Then she looked with equal fear at the girl, who was just as surprised as the others were. Both Columbine and Ushio found the terror in the girl's eyes, and what looked like tears on her face.

"What are you?" Columbine asked.

The little girl just burst out crying, "I thought I was nothing at all." She whispered, suddenly sobbing uncontrollably.

Columbine pushed herself to her feet, helped by Ushio. She realized that the girl was telling the truth. _That girl back on Cyprus. This is what she wanted to protect so desperately._

Restoring the table and chair to their original positions, she slowly approached the girl, moving around the table. "What's your name?" she asked.

The little girl was surprised by the sudden compassion. Wide eyes met Columbine's gaze. Columbine herself was scared, but she knew that she couldn't just abandon her. This girl was somehow key. She had to figure out how. Looking down, the young girl replied, "Alicia."

"Alicia, do you know what you are?" Columbine asked. "I looked into your memories related to that girl, and that was the result. Do you know why? Do you remember her at all?"

Alicia shook her head fiercely. "I don't know who that girl is. For a moment, I thought I could remember something but…it's gone now." She was certain. Columbine heard that clearly.

With a sigh, she said, "I'm sorry, but your connection to her must be something we know. Eventually, we will find it."

"And then what happens?" Alicia asked bitterly. Tears still ran down her cheek. She knew that they weren't even close to truly liking each other.

"We won't kill you," Columbine promised, walking away from her. "But I can't say what will happen." She then added, "Because I don't know myself."

"I'm not a monster." Alicia said frantically, "I'm voidborn, certainly, but I'm no monster. I've been scanned time and time again by inquisitor after inquisitor, by the Librarium, several of them. There's nothing wrong with me." It sounded like she spoke to assure herself.

"You share a resemblance with something I'd liken to a daemon," Columbine spoke the cold truth.

"A daemon…" Alicia whispered. She gasped in shock. "Is…that thing aboard this ship?"

"It's what we're running from," Columbine explained. She called for the door to be opened. "I can help you find what's missing inside you, but you may just end up being a monster after all." Columbine exited first. The sad expression of Ushio was the last thing Alicia saw before the door shut again, leaving her there in silence.

* * *

More than anything, Columbine was pleased to be back in the peace and quiet of her room. Ushio already moving to lay back on the bed, she was joined immediately by Columbine, who sat on the side. "It's your turn next, you know?" Columbine said. "We need to get your memories out as fast as possible."

She removed a few grief cubes from the box beside her bed and placed them beside her soul gem, now put on the nightstand. "Can't it wait?" Ushio asked. Then she remembered that they had to enter the warp soon. A beat. "Fine" she said, pushing herself to her feet. "Then let's begin right now."

Columbine nodded. She flicked the cubes back into their storage cases and replaced her gem. They stood facing one another in front of the bed. Their eyes met, and they stared deep into one another. "Just one condition," Ushio said.

Eyebrows raised, Columbine asked, "What?"

"You tell me about your memories," Ushio said. Columbine thought for a moment. It was only fair. She nodded. Her right hand started to intensely glow with blue light.

She started, "Then, let's begin."

Her hand grasped Ushio's face. She practically pushed herself against the girl, whose body went limp as she stood there. Columbine dove down and clashed against the mental barriers that locked away so many years of memories. It wasn't hard to tell that Ushio was in pain. Her body shook as Columbine forced herself forwards harder and harder.

She was allowing the girl in, but barriers still had to be broken. Walls still had to be torn down. And in the fragile place that was the mind, that task was incredibly painful. Ushio's eyes grew wider and wider, her breathing faster and faster.

"I'm here," Columbine said. Still, that fact couldn't take the pain away. The process was taking its toll on Columbine's soul gem as well, and she was very well aware of the potential dangers in unleashing too many long-forgotten memories onto the mind at once.

However, she had made it past the first barrier. Ushio's eyes started to lose their life, before rolling entirely back into her head. Just that fact alone meant that the first layer was too much. Columbine yanked her hand away, the other one shooting it to support Ushio could fall to the floor.

The girl fell into her arms, as Columbine held her up. Ushio's eyes flickered open, and she stared, exhausted, at Columbine. "I'm starting to see it all," She whispered. Columbine nodded, smiling. A part of that smile was sad. Somehow, seeing this girl suffer had become hurtful to her.

She stood up and moved to lay Ushio on the bed. Columbine tucked her into the covers, and held her hand to her cheek. "Get some rest." She said, "I'll tell you as much as I can, but first, there's still something I have to do." She looked at the door, "Apologies if it disturbs you."

* * *

About ten minutes after she was called, Cherepia stepped through the door. She shut it behind herself, and looked at Columbine sitting on the edge of the bed. Without a word, the blonde replaced her soul gem and shut the box of cubes. "What is it?" Cherepia asked with her characteristic smirk.

Columbine glared at her, "We need to talk, privately." Cherepia furrowed her brow.

"You know what privately means, right?" She asked. Then with a clever smirk, she jabbed, "Or does your girlfriend know all your private things?"

Columbine didn't reply as she stepped over to Cherepia. It made sense that the girl would have her guard down. She couldn't stop the bright blue palm that grabbed her face, holding on tight as Columbine dove down into her memory.

Even though she and Cherepia had always jabbed at one another, this was something unpleasant for Columbine. The girl's eyes were wide as she futilely struggled to rip Columbine's hand away, but her limbs were too weak under the influence of Columbine's dive.

But Columbine defiled the girl's mind for a good reason. After nearly a minute of frantic, panicked struggle, Cherepia dropped to the ground, gasping for air as Columbine took several steps back. Her face displayed shock.

"What was that for?!" Cherepia spat as tried to stand up. "What do you think I'm hiding?!"

Columbine shook her head, composing herself. "So you're not their double agent, then?"

"Whose double agent?!" Cherepia cried.

"I searched for any memory that may relate to you conducting business with the masters of this ship. It doesn't exist, so unless it is hidden incredibly well, you are not the one who is working for them. I know that one exists on Astikai's ship, because someone was feeding them information about Ushio and me." Columbine explained. That girl was still fast asleep.

"And you thought it was me?" Cherepia asked.

"I figured," Columbine nodded. She paused, weighing her next words. "I knew you were reporting to Astikai, so from there it's not unreasonable that you're similarly in bed with someone else, so to speak."

Cherepia chuckled. "I figured you knew. So, going to start suspecting me for that?" Columbine shook her head.

She curtly stated, "There's no reason to do so. You won't kill me. You'll be annoying, but that's what you do. I merely want to find the mole that may very well be amidst our ranks. If it's not you, then it could be one of the girls in the squad. If not, then it's someone else back with Astikai." Columbine explained, running through any possibly candidates in her head.

"I figure Ushio's out of the question, but you're sure it's not Ingwe, right?" Cherepia asked. Columbine paused. She knew instantly that Cherepia was serious. But she had to run over the question once again, as if to confirm that it was really being asked.

A frown on her face, she replied, "You're…you're serious, right?"

Cherepia nodded. The grin disappeared from her face. "You know the history you two have. She easily could have been inserted by these people, course I don't know the full story behind it all."

Columbine fell silent. The idea was not at all incomprehensible. Rather, she cursed herself for not looking at it before. However, there was that trust they had. Just like she trusted so many people to do certain things, Columbine thought that she could trust Ingwe to never betray her. But it wasn't even betrayal. She was never on her side from the start.

A lie, then. That was something Columbine had plenty of experience with. She nodded, "I don't want to believe it…but I have to look into it nonetheless."

Cherepia reached out, laying a hand on her shoulder. Her tone was serious. "I understand that I may be annoying, but I respect you, and I don't want to see you hurt." She sighed heavily after a long breathe, "I was working for Astikai because I'm ultimately selfish. The best way to guarantee my long-term survival was to make myself as useful as possible." She looked just a bit regretful as she said, "I can't say I hated it, so I can't say I won't do it again." Cherepia's grin came back to her face, "But if I do, I'll try my best, as I did before, to make sure you aren't the one up against the wall at the end of the day."

She gripped Columbine's shoulder tightly, then walked for the door. "I'll see what the others might have in store." She promised, before exiting.

Columbine couldn't help but grin. "That girl…" She muttered with a shake of her head.

* * *

Rest didn't come easy, even when, by the second, it became more and more clear that the enemy vessels were on their way out of the system. Really, that just made relaxing harder. Every second, Alicia was slipping further and further from her hands. Soon, she'd be off to Goddess-knows-where.

It was unfitting that the day was so bright and warm, with the sun nearing its apex in the blue sky. None of it seemed right at all. Her face lacked energy as her lifeless eyes stared around the city. It had taken hours, but every human they could have saved had been saved.

That fact was the only thing that brightened Meryet's mind. Otherwise, her perception made the world seem a lot darker than it truly was. "Every astroclairvoyant on the planet is tracing both ships," a voice from the said told her. She knew that it was Lucine.

The girl sat down beside her, hanging her legs out over the side of the building. Hundreds of feet below, people unsteadily moved through the streets, attempting to find some semblance of normalcy after the devastation wreaked only an hour before.

"Still, they'll have for…a long time before we can get her back. And when we do go after them, that won't even be the focus." Meryet said sadly. Lucine couldn't counter that, because she knew it to be true. Meryet's voice suddenly grew frantic as "She might not even be alive when we find her, maybe they'll have-"

Her mouth shut. A hand was clamped over it. Her head turned a little, seeing Lucine's critical glare. "Meryet, panicking won't help you. We'll find her…" the girl paused, then said, "And if we can't, then we'll avenge her." Meryet felt tears welling in her eyes.

Lucine's hand move from her mouth, brushing against her skin as it went upwards. Ever so gently, her fingers brushed away the moisture starting to slip out of Meryet's eyes. "Don't stop me from crying," Meryet spat, swatting the girl's hand away.

Lucine sighed. She yanked her hand back over to herself, still glaring out of the corner of her eyes. "I'm not trying to stop your emotions, Meryet." She said. Her voice was heavy with grief as well. "Just don't let them take you over."

Meryet didn't reply. Lucine slid a bit closer to Meryet. The other girl didn't reply. A slight flinch came from Meryet, but no more than that as Lucine wrapped an arm around her. It only took a few seconds before Meryet burst fully into tears.

Mumble after mumble came from her mouth, speaking of how she merely wanted to protect Alicia, how she had so miserably failed, and how she'd never see her again. Lucine just held on tighter. Eventually, she coerced the girl down, and Meryet lay down in her lap.

Lucine's hand lay on her friend's head. "We'll find her," Lucine promised, "I know we will."

A voice rang in her head. Tentheta, _is this a good time?_ She wondered. Lucine shook her head. A reflex, though the girl in question was a couple miles away.

 _Just a few minutes more._ Lucine replied. She looked down at Meryet once more, who know grasped tightly Lucine's hand. Lucine returned the squeeze, feeling sadness well up in her own heart. "I won't leave," she promised.

Lucine gazed up at the bright sun, now at the top of the sky. "Even if you couldn't deliver on your promise, you're not a bad person." She smiled sadly. "And your wish to protect her, it's not dead, not till she's dead."

* * *

She felt like she should have been repulsed. Yet that was far from what she felt as she saw the strange shrine. It was only strange because it was different, however. A small, featureless statue carved from black iron rested on the table, showing a girl with great wings on her back, could be said to resemble some shrines she'd seen of the Goddess. Though it could be said to be simpler.

"The chief issue with your concept of the Goddess," explained the girl beside her. "Is that she is a powerless entity which you pray to for protection, instead of protecting yourself. The worship of her, especially its institutionalization, only further weakens the people. Instead of relying on your own strength, you put your faith in something thousands and thousands of light years away."

She hadn't yet come to know the girl too well, but she did know her well enough to trust her words. "But…does the Goddess not protect?" asked the blonde girl.

"Did she save your family?" replied the other. That silenced any challenge. "What we believe is that you can always change your fate, and the fate of others around you. You must merely accept yourself as the master of it, and accept your own strength that is independent of other's perceptions." She then explained.

The blonde nodded. "But, you still pray?" She asked, glancing to the shrine.

"True," said the other, out of her armor now, and with short dark hair, "But notice the featureless nature of the girl. We don't identify her. It is more accurate to say that we pray to a concept. The concept that fate can be changed by one's own hands." Her voice became heavy as she said, "With this power, you can protect people. The loyal puppy dogs that follow the Goddess are fools wrapped up in delusions about faith and salvation. The truth is that the world is cruel, but we have the power to fight that cruelty, and change it." A proud smile then came onto her face.

Eyes wide, the little girl asked meekly, "Can…can I really protect others?"

"Of course you can." Said the other, "Columbine, if you believe in what you are and accept that in its entirety, you can protect anyone you desire to. That is what we do, we are all magical girls, after all."


	17. The Secrets Start Tumbling Out

I found her in that grassy field. That same one where we'd shed blood…what seemed so long ago. But it had only been two weeks. I felt like I'd grown more in those two weeks than ever before. Change, though, was something I think that many take trouble with. It's hard to tell if it's for the better while it's happening. _But I know full well that so much more will change before I am done here, and then after that I'll only change more and_ -I stopped myself mid-thought.

Her eyes fell on me as I paused there, eliciting a short flinch as I realized I wasn't alone with my thoughts. Somehow though, seeing her watch me freeze up with a semi-concerned look on my face wasn't as bad as if anyone else had seen me. Just because it was her. The mere thought of that fact embarrassed me somehow.

When I restarted my walk it was faster. If only to divert her mind away from my pause. "Good evening," I said as I came to a few feet from her. Too wrapped up in my own problems, her face had gone invisible till now. She looked a bit solemn, more down than her usual quiet self.

"Good evening," Aurelia replied, though the words slipped from her lips with a tiny bit of hesitation. It was the awkward kind of silence that followed. We could both tell there was something off with the other, but what we were to do about it? We were too close, but not close enough.

The girl's arms moved behind her back, as her head looked at everything but me. Like it was a strange question, she asked, "Can we talk?"

My jaw dropped. I didn't think Aurelia of all people would be the one approaching me about something. Of course, for all I knew this was some problem she had with me, but at least it would be a start. I nodded. "Of course we can." Though that was a strange response, I really did say it in an excited voice.

Aurelia either didn't notice or didn't care. She turned away from me, facing up towards that mountain which we still ran up and down every evening. It had gotten easier, but that didn't mean much given how initially difficult it was. "Then let's get some privacy," Aurelia suggested, starting to walk in that direction.

"But," She stopped, "We're not supposed to leave." I pointed out. It wasn't beyond Aurelia to break the rules, I figured, but I wasn't about to.

Aurelia looked over her shoulder. What I saw on her face was what made me agree, but I should have really looked at her. "We're friends, right?" She asked. I nodded. "Then please, just trust me." In her voice I heard something I hadn't heard before.

Maybe it was just naivety. Maybe I really thought she was opening up to me. Maybe I was too curious. I missed every sign she gave me, though I'd later know they were inadvertently displayed. None the wiser, I followed her as we leapt over the wall and started up the slope.

The cold chilled me, but I knew I had nothing to fear. Though I had no experience with any kind of sickness while a magical girl, I figured that there was little any mundane illness could do. If anything, it just made me uncomfortable, even more than I already was as we ascended the hill in silence.

Steady gusts of wind constantly whipped up my hair, so a hand was always ready to brush it away, even though I knew the way up the slope well. I saw above that the advancing clouds made the stars look like they were going out, but their speed meant that if they were to have any payload to deliver, their window would be small.

The fierce wind shook the trees, the sounds of leaves rustling uniting together into a cacophony. I did hope that the clouds passed quickly, for I'd rather not be caught in a storm, magical girl or no. _But I'll stay if Aurelia will stay._ We were friends, after all.

We reached the summit while the clouds were still some ten minutes away. A rock provided a seat for both of us, and we found our gazes both drawn up to the moon, currently threatened by the encroaching clouds. The winds still blew, but neither of us minded the cold.

"You're…you're scared of the future, right?" Aurelia asked. I heard an unusual sound in her voice. It sounded like something approaching fear.

Hesitant, I nodded. "Yes, I am." I confirmed.

Aurelia sighed. Her eyes stared down at the ground. "But you have no regrets about the past, right?" She wondered.

"I don't. I've accepted that this was the best choice for me, in the end." I replied. An expression of concern showed as I looked at her. "But…you…" I trailed off as she opened her mouth.

"I regret leaving." Aurelia replied. "I wanted to, I know that I made the right choice." She shook her head. Her tone pained my heart. It hurt me, because I felt her hurting. "If I'd stayed, my life would have gone nowhere. But now, my family will benefit from this, and they can know that their daughter went off to be a hero." A tear slid down her cheek.

I wanted to reach out and embrace her, but I knew that she'd push me away. Why would she not, when she'd always had done so before? "But I had people who loved me. And I had people whom I loved. Every day I can't help feel that somehow I'm just abandoning them. Like I'm running away." A shudder ran through her body. "I hate myself, even though I know that what I did isn't that bad. I just want to be back there, because I remember it so much better."

She turned her head towards me. "But we're friends, right?"

"Yes," I replied, nodding hesitantly. I wish I could understand what she was feeling. I'd come to accept what has happened, but the future still terrifies me.

Aurelia sighed, "Would a friend kill another friend if that friend asked?" I would have laughed if it weren't for the utter seriousness in her voice. Into her eyes I looked, and I found that same look from before, that look that I didn't fully understand. In her eyes I now recognized despair.

I was awestruck. We dropped entirely in silence as we stared at each other. It was hard to believe anything that I was hearing, but Aurelia looked as though she was completely serious. I wanted her to just start laughing, and tell me this entire thing was just a joke. But it wasn't a joke.

"I wouldn't kill you," I replied. My head started shaking 'no', and it kept going to the point where I looked like a broken toy. Aurelia let a small sigh escape her lips.

She reached out her hand. A flash brought her gun into it. Before I could leap to try and stop her she said, "No, I won't kill myself. I say I'm not scared of the future but committing suicide sounds…very scary. Really, I'm not even sure if I want to die." More tears fell down her cheeks. That part of me that just wanted to hug her got larger and larger.

Slowly though, her arm moved. Then she had turned and her gun was pointing at my head. "But if I try to kill you, you'll have to defend yourself, right?" Aurelia asked. It didn't seem like there was anything left of that staunch Aurelia. There was just a lonely girl who had lost everything she loved, taken all away by her own hand.

The gun was pointed right at my head. I knew she wouldn't fire, because she wanted me to kill her. But at the same time, that meant she'd have to make some effort to kill me. My muscles tensed, just like they had when we'd fought the wraiths. Those same feelings coursed through my body, as I prepared to fight even though I knew this girl was my friend. A good friend, even.

However, I didn't forget what I could do. I'd gone into her mind once before, and I could do it again. I wondered if the connection worked both ways, if I could send her something directly, at least to distract her. Quickly, I found her mind, and dove forwards. Aurelia's eyes shot open as I tried to shove as may disturbing images I could think into her own mind. Enough that she grip faltered, and she stumbled back.

I was leaping upwards then. Into my left hand flashed the scabbard of my blade. Already my right hand was prepared to meet it. Off to the side clattered her pistol, which bounced its way down the slope. Aurelia gasped, trying to regain her composure. She screamed out as another gun flashed into her right hand.

I panicked, my sword rushing downwards. My own life was threatened. I wouldn't throw everything away, not now. So I struck, hoping that I could just stop her. For a moment, I forgot to try and save her.

The wind blew. Around us, the leaves rustled. In the skies above the clouds covered the moon and darkened the land. Any minute a downpour could begin. Neither of us were chilled, though the night was old, the wind fierce, and the temperature yet to drop as far as it eventually would.

Down the slope, and against the sides of the mountains and valleys that surrounded this summit, echoed the sound of a gunshot. Desperation that morphed slowly into horror showed on the face of the girl who pulled the trigger. It couldn't help but be joined by pain.

My face showed pain as well, for warm blood that had yet to taste the cruelties of the cold night wetted my clothing, spilling from a whole in my shoulder. But there was horror on my face too. For through Aurelia's chest was my blade. My hand shook uncontrollably until the point where I made myself recoil in shock and fear.

Aurelia's gun hit the ground with a dull thud. Her hands grasped at the blade that pierced her heart. She was a magical girl, but her body still had limits. The truly terrifying thing was that I could not console myself. Though relief showed itself just a little bit, it quickly faded away into fear and pain. Aurelia hit the ground, my sword still impaling her body. She gasped a few more breathes, and then fell silent and motionless. I swore that the last thing I heard was a faint, "No…"

Everything hit me in a split second. The world that had seemed to fall silent after the gunshot was awakened harshly by the sound of my long scream. Tears poured down my cheeks, till finally I ripped myself from my shock and awe and leapt towards Aurelia. My sword followed her gun's path down the hill as I tossed it aside, before I desperately lifted her into my arms.

I didn't know if I could save her, but I knew that I could get her down the mountain. With the same sort of leap that had carried me from rooftop to rooftop, I descended. Up into the air I climbed, set to fall right near the compound. But that was high up, and though my stomach turned over I just clutched Aurelia tighter.

I couldn't be scared. Because I had to save her. Not just because she was someone worth saving, but because she was Aurelia. A circle of magic signaled my impact, and then a mighty leap took me over the wall as I called out desperately, both telepathically and physically.

I landed in the middle of the camp, my screams echoing everywhere as Aurelia lay silent in my arms. Her soul gem still sat on her neck, where it darkened just a bit more every second. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

Then Germana was there, grabbing Aurelia from me and rushing away. I followed after her, only vaguely noticing girls rudely awakened step out and watch. They didn't follow, so I can only assume Germana told them not to.

We rushed into the infirmary, where Aurelia was laid down on a bed, while her soul gem was placed in a box of grief cubes. Inadvertently, I grasped Aurelia's hand as tight as I could, refusing to move from the spot. "Will she live?!" I cried desperately.

Germana laid a hand on the wound, her palm glowing a little. The sergeant nodded. "Aurelia will live." She confirmed flatly, "But you two have some explaining to do." I nodded. "I know you did this to her, but murderers don't want to save their victims." Germana said. For one of the first times, her voice lightened up, and she sounded almost proud of me, "Stay by her side, don't leave her." As if to ensure I wouldn't, Germana got a chair for me, and pushed it under me. I sat down, still holding Aurelia's hand while she lay there.

"You're wounded as well," Germana said, looking to my shoulder. I gasped. In all that had happened, I hadn't even noticed. The pain came roaring back to me, and I cried out. "You'll be fine, though." She laid her hand on the wound, her palm glowing. Already I felt the pain, and the wound, fading away. She held it there for a few seconds more, and then she stepped away. "You'll heal soon." She said. I didn't know where she went. Aurelia meant more to me than myself.

Again and again, I repeated, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." It went on until I couldn't speak them so loudly anymore. Then I whispered, though the sound would probably be lost amidst my tears.

That night, I wept until sleep came. But I didn't leave her side. As if me being there was the only thing that could save her, I didn't leave. I slipped into darkness wondering if I could ever make Aurelia really smile.

* * *

"Vergiana…" The sound of my name roused me from sleep. It couldn't have been very deep, for I was instantly sitting up and looking to the source. But I didn't need to question it.

Our eyes met for what seemed like only a moment. But they didn't break away, like both of us figured they would. I kept holding Aurelia's hand. Hesitantly, I cracked a bit of a happy smile. "You're alive…" I said, tearing up out of joy.

Dried blood still clothes, and my hair was stained from the blood, for my head must have fallen only an inch or so in front of the expanding pool. It was long dry now, and the wound long-healed. Aurelia's eyes sparkled, as I realized she too was crying. "Death was scary," She whispered. I gasped as she held my hand tighter. "I don't want to die. I don't want to go back to that darkness."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "For killing you."

"Why did you save me?" Aurelia asked. She looked at me, where I sat, then further questioned, "Why…did you stay with me?"

I had no choice but to use the same reason she'd given for why I ought to be her executioner. "Because we're friends." I said. Then we were silent. Our breathing was all there was.

I think we were lost in each other's eyes. Somehow, just that night had changed everything. We were friends, of course, but there an even deeper bond between us now. Our hands grasped each as hard as they could. We wouldn't let go.

I almost bit my tongue, but I spoke anyways. "Do…do you want to live now?" I asked. Aurelia thought for a moment.

"I think I never really wanted to die. It's just…I was the strong one. I had to pretend I was strong, and I couldn't show a thing, else I'd start to admit to myself that I wasn't strong, and that maybe I wouldn't do well here." Aurelia sounded ashamed to be admitting it all, but she spoke the words nonetheless.

Speaking from my heart, I told her, "You don't have to worry about that. You're strong. Stronger than I am, at least…that's what I think."

Aurelia looked like she couldn't believe that, "You really think so?" Almost speechless, she asked again, "You…you really think that?" I was amazed. It was an entirely different sort of Aurelia that I was seeing here.

It amazed me, astounded me. That this girl could have such emotions hidden beneath everything. "I believe it," I said. The only thing I could have done after that is hug her. That's precisely what I did.

I stood up and almost flung myself at her, still holding on tight as my other arm wrapped round her shoulders. My chest was warm with a feeling of happiness that nothing before had ever equaled. Aurelia held me back with her free arm, and there we lay. As the words came out of her mouth I felt like she regretted every single one, but she said them.

"I didn't do all of that for only those reasons," She said, voice heavy. "Part of me wanted to know if I could trust you." Aurelia shook her head, "I'm so stupid, aren't I?"

"Why would you do that?" I was astonished. Aurelia shied away from me, even though our faces were only inches apart.

I felt like I was treading in ground I shouldn't have been. "Because I wanted to stop hurting. But I didn't know if you could help." She hadn't let go of my hand.

I asked the only question possible. "Can I?"

Like a mistake, it slipped out, "Yes." Then her head came back, and we looked into each other's eyes. "Thank you." She whispered to me.

"Thank you," I whispered back. For a while we didn't know what to say. Eventually, I started speaking, almost silently, "Maybe, we could stop fighting now?"

Aurelia grinned. "Just because you did all that doesn't mean I like you." Of course, there was still the issue that in other terms, not much united us. But I think that neither of us cared. Really, I _know_ that neither of us cared. Even if this was all that bound us, we'd stick together.

* * *

Though if there were anything that could have split us up, it would have been Germana's glare. We stood with our backs and arms straight, as they had been for a few minutes now. She'd just sat there, giving a disapproving stare that would made anyone reconsider their actions.

I think I almost jumped when she finally started talking. "I don't know what happened." Germana sighed, "A part of me doesn't want the details. Clearly this issue has effectively resolved itself." I could her foot tapping slowly against the floor. "But I have a duty to do. If I believe there is a threat to the life of anyone here, I must investigate it to the maximum extent." Her eyes fell on Aurelia. "You will start first. Vergiana will not talk. When you finish, it will be her turn. Please tell the truth. I promise you that I won't do anything that I do not believe is in your best interests."

Aurelia nodded. Even then, she still hesitated. I wanted to say something in her support, but what was I to do? Tell her 'Good luck' as she described the thought process that led her to consider suicide?

"I regret contracting, and leaving behind my family and friends." Aurelia said. Consternation showed as she clearly didn't want to say anything more, but Germana looked ready to demand a more complete explanation. "I didn't want to admit that to myself, so I tried to look strong, so I could never express what I really felt."

Germana didn't reply, but she was certainly listening. "Go on," she said quietly, as Aurelia paused.

"I wondered if Vergiana would kill me. When she refused, I pointed my gun at her, trying to get her to kill me." Aurelia said. She was ashamed of herself. "Vergiana knocked the gun away, I shot her, and she stabbed me." Her head fell down, and she said nothing more.

"Is there anything more?" Germana wondered. Her eyebrows raised up as she stared at Aurelia. It was as though I didn't exist. I knew that a reason was missing. But whether or not she'd speak of it, I couldn't tell. As the silence dragged on, I could tell that it would take more coercion for Aurelia to say anything else. And Germana didn't seem to be up to that, at least for the moment.

Her gaze then turned to me. I only paused for a few seconds before delivering the same story that Aurelia had given. No change, save for the differing specific words. Germana nodded. "I assume that story is correct." She took a deep breath. "Listen, you two seem to be fine now, so that helps. Aurelia, Elliana will come get you. She's the psychologist here, I'm not suited to do her job for her. But, I can promise you that there will be no repercussions for either of you. We will merely assure that you are mentally fit to continue as normal, and if you are, then nothing more will occur." The sergeant shrugged. "Vergiana, you may go."

I wanted to stay, and made that clear enough from the unhappy way I glanced around the room, but Germana insisted. "Please, go speak to the others, they're worried. Everything will continue as normal, Aurelia will rejoin sooner or later."

"But…" I said, a bit worried for my friend.

"Don't worry. She's not going to just disappear. I've dealt with cases like this before," Germana said, "Aurelia is fine." She spoke as though the girl weren't present. "Go on." Arguing would be pointless, I saw.

"See you soon," I whispered as I turned around. My gaze kept lingering back behind me as I walked away, never stopping until the door shut behind me.

* * *

Germana hadn't been lying. Training had continued as normal. As if nothing had happened at all. When I first returned to the others, the blood that stained my clothing scared them all off from even making a comment. I found that quite easily, I could just replace them by conjuring new ones directly in place, but the memory of the sight couldn't be erased.

It wasn't so much any fear or shame on my part, more my unwillingness to speak to people whom I didn't know very well. Perhaps I could have opened up to Priscilla, but Mariana kept her away from me. I figured things would stay that way till she knew the truth, and even then I doubted she'd see Aurelia and me the same way.

I started to wish that I'd spent more time actually talking to people, back before I contracted. The fact that 'before I contracted' had quickly become an expression that appeared in my thought was a disconcerting one, something that I couldn't help but think of.

Of course, it wasn't like there was any point in denying it. My life had entirely changed. Whether or not it was for the better didn't matter. It had to be for the better. _Else I'll end up like Aurelia._ I realized. _And if I do_ _…_ I didn't want to think about that.

I only hoped that Aurelia returning would give me something else to think about. Hours passed, but eventually she did show up, silently. Things continued as normal, she just took her place beside me and we continued. I almost found it humorous, but there were more important things than our issues, I knew that.

While ultimately this seemed like this was the entire world, we were training to become knights. In the future, the responsibilities laid upon us would be enormous. And of course, that was what terrified me.

They all wanted to know. I'm pretty sure all of them stared as we sat down to eat, but none of them knew us well enough, I supposed. Neither of us minded, though. For us, everything had changed in an incredibly short amount of time. I realized that even though I felt closer to Aurelia than ever before, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say. The same feeling appeared to be mimicked in her.

Her being her usual aloof self would be strange, after what had happened, but so would anything else. The same thing applied to myself. So we sat there, not sure what to say. Partially, I was glad that the awkward silence was disrupted. "Do you mind?" Came from the side. I snapped my head to the side, and realized I'd forgotten all about Catarina and her partner.

Without much of an impetus to refuse, I shook my head. Aurelia didn't disagree either, so they sat down, Catarina beside me and Alliana beside Aurelia. "If wouldn't mind, I believe both of us are wondering about last night." Her polite tone made it easier to find a reply.

"Well…" I glanced at Aurelia, before recalling something quickly. _Let's just use this._ I suggested to her via telepathy. _Are you comfortable with telling them?_

Aurelia hesitated for a few seconds. _They'll know eventually._ It was clear that both of us wished that Germana had just told everyone else, rather than leave it up to us. It would have been more awkward at first, but the task of letting everyone else know was quickly turning into a difficult endeavor.

"Last night," I decided to speak for Aurelia, and she didn't stop me. "Aurelia had some suicidal notions. An argument between us climaxed in a short fight, in which I stabbed Aurelia through the chest." I explained, talking like I was treading on thin ice that would break were my voice too loud or intent. But of course I had to speak loud enough for whispers to spread all through the room, for someone had been quite intently listening.

Catarina and Alliana took the news without any overblown reactions, which were visible and audible elsewhere as the story spread. I must thank their noble upbringings for that, always following the norms. "She seems to be alright now," Catarina said, before gasping a little at her rudeness, then directing her next words at Aurelia, "Are you? Feeling better, that is?"

Aurelia nodded. "Vergiana…has helped me. So yes, I'm feeling better, thank you." Alliana raised her eyebrows, in a manner that indicated a healthy bit of suspicion.

"Vergiana?" she repeated, "When previously you two were arguing?"

"We were friends," I said quickly, but Aurelia picked up from there.

"Things changed," she explained, "We've grown closer, definitely for the better." Alliana shrugged, not wishing to pry any deeper. I started to dodge the gazes of the three after Aurelia said that, not wanting them to see my face.

"I hope you two are better," Catarina said. She seemed to understand that prying for details wouldn't be helpful.

"We are," I said with some confidence, but a glance at Aurelia only heightened that. More firmly, I repeated, "We are."

* * *

I'd always felt that I was treading on forbidden ground. Stepping into a place I just should not have been. Mariana guarded her charge like she was a queen. As if more than just one person desperately desired her survival and safety. On one hand, honorable and brave, and on the other hand almost rather sad.

Yet now, more than ever, I came to see that I was not welcome in the slightest, at least if Mariana's say meant something to herself. It was cruel, how she denied her own wishes if Priscilla raised a protest, even if she thought her course of action to be the better one.

They were just around the corner. Their hushed whispers were filled with not anger, but merely annoyance. I doubted they had the capacity to be angry at each other. But Priscilla wanted me to know, and Mariana didn't. They'd called me out of dinner, Aurelia behind left behind of course, and had been exchanging hushed words for the past minute or so.

Finally Mariana stepped around the corner of the building. "She'll see you know," the girl said quietly. She didn't meet my eyes.

I froze up, not wanting to do this. "Does she really want to?" My gaze strayed away from her. We both looked off in different directions.

Maybe Mariana was crying, maybe it was just my imagination. "She does," barely audibly she whispered. Hesitation lingered for a few seconds more, before I turned and took a step.

Marian's hand was on my shoulder, gripping down tightly. It wasn't distorted by anger, but her voice wasn't that usual coldness. I'd say it was closer to fear. "Please, don't hurt her." I nodded. It was all I could do.

Then I stepped around the corner. It was chilly, the clouds sparse but the sun doing little to warm the mountain air. Priscilla grasped the hems of her dress tightly, staring down at the ground. After last night, I didn't desire this, but Priscilla was ready. Refusing her would be rude, and who knew what more it could do?

I tried to open my mouth to say something, probably a greeting, but I thought that a strange way to begin this. Priscilla started it, her voice hushed and frightful. "I haven't told anyone this." She looked up at me, "You're the first one I've told." So Mariana knew from the beginning. "I decided to tell you this because…because I saw what you did for Aurelia. I don't think a bad person would do that, and Mariana is honestly blind because of her loyalty, but I'd never wish her to be any different."

I think she was searching for the right way to begin it, perhaps to find a moment or an emotion. She must have failed, for she merely began, subtle enough that I was almost taken by surprise. "It happened a year and a half ago. I was walking home from the scholam. Alone, but nothing really bad happened where I lived." Her eyes clouded almost instantaneously. A few words slipped out, apparently unintentionally, "It was snowing."

A beat. The pause dragged out, until she continued, "I walked up the stairs to my hab. It was in one of the lower districts. And there was a strange smell in the air." She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Like she was choking she grabbed futilely at air, looking for the words. "The door was open. So of course I was worried."

Then, as if that was nothing at all, she went off on a seeming tangent. "Mariana lived in the same building. But we never talked. She was rather quiet, and neither of us had anything in common. We'd glance at each other, but that was it."

"I guess it was good she returned at the same time I did." Priscilla paused once again, "She heard me scream." The fragile doll shook her head. "I wonder if the Goddess does protect. Because she couldn't stop that man from murdering my entire family." Then we were both silent. After what could have been multiple eternities, Priscilla continued, "Apparently 'love' makes people do such things."

"There was some kind of an affair. I don't know the full story, because everyone who could have told it is dead." Priscilla did the strangest thing. She shrugged. "Good riddance, really." She whispered so low that the light breeze almost stole her words.

"But Mariana heard. And she came rushing, even as others came out to look. But his hands were already around my throat. I don't think he knew what to do with me, except get rid of me. I can't fathom why, maybe I was a witness, maybe this whole affair stretched back further. What mattered is that I was about to die." Priscilla's eyes were wide. Then she started to grin. "But Mariana was there. I don't even remember exactly what happened, only that she took the knife from him, and then he screamed and there was blood everywhere and she was holding me and…" She was breathing fast, before she finally said, "Then he was dead. And Mariana was there." Floodgates opened wide. Tears spilled down her cheeks. I suddenly found myself practically knocked aside

As Priscilla sunk down to the ground, Mariana was there. She held the girl so tight I felt like she'd break. My jaw was chattering, unable to find words to say anything at all. "Do you understand now?" Mariana didn't look at me. I might as well have not existed, were it not for the fact that the secret had been revealed. "Please, don't tell anyone of this."

"Y-you…"

"I feel no regret from my actions." Mariana said quietly but firmly. "I killed a murderer. Only murderers themselves think that is incorrect." A beat. "Let us be in peace. There is nothing more for you here."

I started to stumble backwards, unable to tear my eyes from either of them. It was hard to imagine how Priscilla lived with that memory. How Mariana lived with that memory. But so much was clearer now. Yet that didn't mean I had any right to intrude. As it was, I was treading on ground not meant for me.

"That was brave," I said quietly as I started to turn. "Saying that."

As I walked away, I heard a faint, "Thank you,"

* * *

My mind was divided the rest of the day. I lay in bed, incapable of sleeping. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake all that happened out of my thoughts. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since Aurelia, but Priscilla's revelation was a secret I'd kept. Aurelia knew they'd talked to me, but she respected their privacy.

That didn't help me sleep, though. From what I saw of the rest of the room, they had already fallen into slumber, while I remained restless. _Is it what they told you, or is it me?_ Aurelia asked. I guess she heard me rolling around and made an assumption.

 _Both,_ I replied unsteadily. _Priscilla_ _…_ _it_ _'_ _s hard to see her the same way, but I have to see you a different way. It's like all the people I thought I knew were just lying. Not that_ _…_ _I hold it against you._

I could almost feel Aurelia shaking her head. _That's fine. I was the one being stubborn._ There was quiet in our heads for a few moments. _It's a shame we couldn't speak much today. Tomorrow, then._

I agreed with that. _I really do want to know you better._ Aurelia didn't reply to that. But merely knowing that she did care about me was enough to calm me. Everything else could wait. I was certain that I had a friend, no matter what.

* * *

End Chapter 12 of record

* * *

Somehow, what was properly her attire seemed out of place. It was a new sight for Meryet, but it still looked just a little confusing seeing it for the first time. Almost as though she wore an entirely new demeanor alongside the new clothing, but such changing appearances was to be expected with someone with such a job.

Meryet understood that Caelina was fishing quite far below herself, with her actual age at the moment being one hundred and eighty-three. _Experienced, obviously a good commander, we're hopefully in good hands._ She certainly looked authoritative, standing in the conference room at the head of the long table, the massive star chart occupying the entire wall behind her.

Her eyes caught Meryet as she entered, and Caelina beckoned the girl. She was alone, as much as Tentheta complained, no one else was let in. The reason wasn't too hard to understand, given the truth of Caelina's position.

A few others occupied the room, most clearly Caelina's command squad, with the remaining three unknown. Meryet recognized one of them to be Lena Holohan, meaning the other two were most likely Inquisitor as well, given their lack of armor. Stopping a few feet from the captain, both Fallen Angels saluted. "At ease," Caelina ordered, her tone formal and stiff. "Thank you for coming." Her head turned to look at the other three in the room. "Inquisitor Avdotya Mikhailov, Inquisitor Kenna Lyne, and you already knew Holohan. Their purpose here is to both assist our mission and act as representatives of the Inquisition. Take special care with Ms. Lyne, as she directly represents the interests of the Grand Inquisitor."

Meryet's brow furrowed, "This is that major?"

"Indeed. Astikai is one of the greatest threats we've encountered. Her existence also relates to the disappearance of Athena ten years ago. We can only assume that her kidnapping of Alicia means something. That entire operation was a huge risk to take for a single knight of relatively little import." Caelina explained. She turned around to gaze at the star chart, currently displaying the sector and those around it.

"But we can't even be sure that Astikai wanted that girl. There're reports that the two groups of traitors were fighting against one another. We can't be sure of anything at the moment." The captain sighed, "However, what we can do is discuss the nature of Alicia, and why someone who would want to kidnap her. If we can deduce that, we might have some sort of advantage."

Meryet nodded. "Please, sit down." Caelina gestured to the table. She took her seat at the head, while the inquisitors sat opposite of the Fallen Angel. The rest of the command squad was busy at the other end handling logistics and the like. "So, I understand that her matter is one close to your heart, but I beg you to tell us everything you know about Alicia. Any information could help us."

Meryet took a deep breath. "Don't worry," She said, "I have no reservations. If this is what it takes to save her, then I'll tell you." Still, she bit her tongue for a few seconds, finally starting. "Alicia has always had a strange affinity for the warp. In normal space she almost looks uncomfortable. Even on a planet's surface. She doesn't like being around people, especially ones she doesn't know. The most social contact she's comfortable with for long periods of time is myself. While in the warp, she looks perfectly comfortable, and has never had any trouble with entering or leaving. Absolutely no trace of any negative effects. In addition, she looks around quite frequently while in the warp, staring at random points as if she sees something there, when there is nothing of interest to my eyes." Meryet hesitated, but continued. "Such things haven't been told to any inquisitor. Not all of that. I was afraid that it would be taken as signs of something worse, when perhaps it was just introversion, or some quirk of being voidborn."

She looked at the trio of inquisitors, "Otherwise, her mind has already been plumbed by multiple telepaths. There's nothing there that they can find."

The inquisitors glanced at one another. Holohan spoke first, "Indeed, I found nothing out of order. Given the information presented, we can only assume that if there is something, it is buried deep in her consciousness." Her eyes caught Meryet's. "Is there something more?"

Meryet gritted her teeth. She knew that there was. "Alicia saw Astikai and her forces coming. In a dream, or something, she predicted specifically Astikai's arrival. Furthermore…I had a dream myself, about her, only a few days ago." Though her instincts told her not to, she had to, "I believe it was somehow connected to Alicia's consciousness. I saw what appeared to be an image of the past. Alicia was with a girl who looked to be her twin. Then…something else was there, and it forcibly ended the dream, but I don't know what it was."

The entire room was silent. Even the command squad, listening with half their mind, was stunned. Meryet knew that what she'd seen was no matter to be dismissed, but she'd hoped that perhaps it was just a nightmare, meaning little if anything. Mikhailov's voice was heavy with concern, "Meryet, you understand the potential significance of dreams, correct?"

Meryet nodded. "Then why was this not immediately conveyed?"

"Because I was stupid." Meryet replied, "Because I wanted to believe that Alicia was perfectly fine. And as such, I changed the truth to fit that. I saw what I wanted to see, I believed what I wanted to believe."

From Lyne, "So there is potentially a secondary personality buried in Alicia's consciousness, and she could have a twin. So, we need any information we can muster on her origins. Have the ship she was born on tracked down and thoroughly investigated." She stood up, "I shall communicate this to the Grand Inquisitor." The girl quickly strode out of the room, leaving the others in silence. Meryet looked down in shame, knowing that what she did was wrong.

"Don't feel bad," Holohan said, "You saw what you wanted. At least you didn't cave and call her a heretic at the first sign of something, when in reality there's nothing wrong." She chuckled, "No use in burning the innocent."

Mikhailov nodded, "I agree. I do not believe you acted in a way that has endangered anyone. They still would have gotten to her, even if we had locked her up on Cyprus. The consequence would have been the same." She glanced at the chart, "The question now is why does all this matter to Astikai. What does want?"

Meryet stood up. "May I leave?" She asked shakily. Caelina nodded, and the inquisitors didn't stop her. With that, she slowly walked from the room, almost regretting what she'd done.

She'd brushed aside the others, telling them she needed time to herself. Lucine had almost pushed the matter, but knew her too well. After a point, she ceased her efforts. All they could do was watch as Meryet stomped off.

To their collective surprise, the Blood Angels captain exited the room a moment later. "Where?" Her stern tone was enough for them to send her off in the right direction in a moment's time.

* * *

Meryet had never been on the battle-barge before, and despite the difference in pattern, she assumed that it would be little different from those she knew better. The girl hoped that she could find somewhere that was private, but doubted she'd get there before something or someone came to distract her.

 _I failed._ She thought, _I couldn't protect her, and all along there's been something more to her that I just didn't see._ Meryet shook her head in shame, as it already hung low. The quick pace of armored footsteps clanking against the metal behind her alerted her. She looked over her shoulder with a scowl, not even dropping it when she saw it was Caelina.

The captain slowed as she approached, briefly glancing around the empty corridor. "What do you want?" Meryet spat.

"To ensure you're alright," Caelina replied.

Turning on her heel, Meryet faced the girl head-on, "And why do you care?"

"Because I'm almost three times your age. I've seen people spiral down from this." Caelina explained. Meryet hesitated to reply. Eventually a sigh came from her mouth.

"There's no reason to refuse you, is there?" She said, voice filled with sadness. Caelina gave no response. "What do you think I should do?" Meryet asked, voice sharp and condescending despite her acceptance.

"Accept that you made a mistake, and move on." Caelina suggested. She started walking. "Come on, follow me." Meryet stayed where she was for a couple moments, before hurrying to walk alongside her.

"We're going to find her," Caelina told Meryet, "Everyone except the PDG on Cyprus has been mobilized. Only a skeleton squadron of ships remains to guard the system. If we can catch up to them, they won't win."

"Even after what we saw Astikai do?" Meryet asked.

The sentence was old by the time Caelina replied, "We'll stop her. There's only so much she can do. She's not invincible." Though her voice was hollow with half-confidence.

Disheartened by the answer, Meryet pushed no further for any sort of assurance. From a quick look around, she figured that they were progressing towards the prow, though that was about five kilometers away. Where they were now was closer to the heart of the vessel.

The larger ship was different from most Meryet had been on, though of course she still had experience with battle-barges. Rather than tight and low hallways, most of the ship, especially around the center, consisted of wider and expansive corridors. Meryet sometimes felt she were in some palace on a planet, but that was the intended feeling.

"Where has Astikai even been?" she asked, "If she's so powerful, you think someone else would have done something by now, but there hasn't even been a search."

Caelina gave a sigh of consternation in reply, then explained, "We haven't been able to find her, she's been quite mobile and no one wants to stumble into a fight with her. She also seems to understand that we could destroy her, because she's kept a low profile. Her name is known, but she hasn't done enough to justify a massive manhunt, not with everything else going on." But there was more, Meryet could hear it. She didn't have to wait, "We didn't know who she was until ten years ago. There was no trace of her in official records, so she wasn't a traitor, instead she was born into it. However, she was just another knight until ten years ago."

They ascended a set of stairs, leading up towards the living quarters. "Correlation doesn't equal causation, but something tells me that this all started with the Athena Disappearance." Caelina shook her head, "Even if the Inquisition believes it, it's just guessing. We can't be certain."

"The Athena Disappearance…" Meryet repeated, trying to think back to ten years before. Her shock was such that her body forgot to react for a moment. Her mouth formed a small 'o', and her steps grew slower till she stopped. Caelina paused, looking back down at her, eyes questioning.

"I never thought about it till now," She whispered. Meryet looked up with astonishment at Caelina, "But ten years ago, there was a day when Alicia…she just acted strange. One moment, she passed out, and then the rest of the day she was almost in a daze. We were on campaign, so we assumed she was just tired, but…" She struggled for breathe as her body froze.

"She has to be connected," Caelina agreed, "It's sent to the inquisitors, they'll figure it out." Meryet knew that she was helpless. She couldn't disagree. There she stood, on the stairs, breathing unsteadily. "You couldn't have done anything," Caelina told her, "You know that,"

Meryet didn't respond. As if escaping this place would escape the thoughts in her head she started quickly again, marching up the stairs past Caelina, though she knew not where she was going. The captain hurried after her, "Meryet!" she snapped as they reached the top. "What do you intend to do?"

"What am I supposed to do?!" the girl shouted back, a few seconds of gasping for air, then, "What am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to try to get her back, if she means so much to you." Caelina said, "But I can't in good conscience allow you to involve yourself too heavily. You have a deep emotional connection to her, the kind that's a powder keg on the battlefield."

Meryet glared at her, but didn't deny her words. "Even if I am, I'll try. Worry about me all you'd like, but I've been in this for over fifty-seven years. I can hold my own when I'm feeling a little grief."

Caelina nodded. "I merely worry, because I've been in this for one hundred and seventy." She said quietly. Meryet fell silent.

"Have you ever lost anyone like this?" She asked.

The Blood Angel's head nodded only barely, "I have. I lose them all the time. I have an entire company to look after. Grief is something I know all too well."

Meryet nodded. She turned away and started walking down the stairs. "Then you know that I will survive." Meryet didn't look back.

* * *

With a small metallic click the door shut behind her. Columbine's head turned to send her gaze both ways down the hall. Not a trace of anyone. As naturally as she could, she turned to the left and started walking. Her spine tingled with fright at the thought of leaving Ushio alone, but it was for the best.

Currently, the girl slept, as she had for the past ten hours. However, recovering one's memories was difficult, and Columbine intended to give her all the time she needed. Those thoughts led her to whatever they had locked up in the brig. _If she was dangerous, well, she is, but I doubt she can escape and do us any harm. It'll be hard interrogating her now that we're in the warp, as well as finding Ushio's memories._

But as much as Columbine desired to know the truth behind all of this, there was something in the way first. Once more she glanced around herself, finding nothing but human crewmembers as she strode in the direction of the brig. _We should all be sleeping, based on the standard cycles, but there's still a chance_ _…_ she thought worriedly, knowing that she had to be careful.

There wasn't anyone around as she neared her destination. Deeper within the ship there was little work to do, at least nothing to call anyone away from repairs and maintenance to all the systems damaged or taxed during the previous battle.

The girl rounded a corner, and then found herself slammed against a wall, only a brief blur of black to warn her. But she calmed instantly, finding that only a few inches from her own face was Cherepia's. "I didn't think showing our prisoner would be the best choice," the girl said quietly, leaning into Columbine. Anyone who saw them would get an entirely different impression of their actions.

Columbine couldn't argue with that idea, "Well, what did you figure out?" she asked, speaking at the same whisper volume.

"I'd like to believe that none of them lied to me, and if so, the double is not among them. I was given no indication by any of them that someone else might be. They really have no clue who it might be." Cherepia explained.

Columbine replied, "Then who could it be? They have to exist, how else would these people know so much about our operations?"

Cherepia spoke as though she'd already thought on it, "I don't see any of the Khornates being it; they're too wrapped up in their own games. A Slaaneshi, perhaps, as Clementine and her girls are loyal to Astikai." Columbine mulled the idea over.

"Then the Tzeentchians," She proposed, and Cherepia replied with a nod. "Ciuatl most likely. She's always been playing her own game, it's entirely possible that it was her. She got her hands on Ushio's notes, and why would she know of those if it weren't for them."

Cherepia pointed out, "But we must now consider what these people's long term plan is. If they have a double agent with Astikai, who is Ciuatl, then we should have a huge advantage. So why do we run?"

Columbine sighed, "I don't know. Part of me wants to confront them about this, but we have to be sure, and it has to be at the right time, not when we're stuck in the warp with them. I doubt we could outfight them, and it'd be bloody even if we could." She shook her head, "At least we have a better idea of what we're up against. Stay calm, keep your head down. I'll speak to Ingwe as well."

Cherepia nodded. "Will do," She promised, stepping back. A quick check of either direction found no one watching them. Wearing a grin on her face, Cherepia walked away with a, "See you later."

Columbine waited a few moments, then started walking as well. A desire pulled her towards the brig, but she fought that. _Ushio's memories come first. They'll help in figuring out whatever that thing in there is._

* * *

The girl was awake when she returned. She sat up in bed, blankly staring at the sheets beneath her, knees pulled up and arms wrapped around them. Ushio looked up with a bit of surprise as Columbine entered. Her mouth started to form words, but nothing came out.

"Are you alright?" Columbine asked. Ushio shifted uncomfortably, not giving a response other than that. Approaching the bed, Columbine wondered, "Have you remembered anything?"

A few seconds passed before Ushio said quietly, "A lot. Almost too much." The blonde sat down on the edge of the bed, holding a hand out to lay on Ushio's knee.

"Don't worry," Columbine said. She was unsure as she asked, "Can you tell me, or…?"

Ushio thought for a few moments. "I can," She said, "I have to, don't I?" Columbine gave no reply to that. Taking that as an invitation, Ushio started, "It's all a blur. I'm not really sure what is what." She trembled a little. "It just feels wrong, looking back at these memories that I sealed away. I mean, it had to have been for a good reason, a very good reason."

Columbine looked down. _She doesn't want to speak of it, but she doesn't have much choice, does she? Not only is it the only reason we're here, but_ _…_ _I want to know myself._ Quietly, she said, "Ushio, if you don't want to-"

She was cut off, "I have to!" Ushio almost shouted, "I…I have to, or else why is any of this even happening. It's practically my responsibility at this point, and if I was the one who started all of this…" She teared up a little, "I started all this when I made this experiment in the first place. It's my responsibility to end it, so therefore…I have to."

Once again, Columbine didn't reply. Ushio took a deep breath, and started to speak. "The memories start from the moment I sealed them, and go backwards. I can't tell exactly how far back I've remembered, chronologically, at least." Ushio's hand reached out and grabbed Columbine's, holding it tight. "I was told that I came to be with Astikai after I was rescued from a drifting wreck, apparently recently destroyed. That wasn't a lie. I sealed my memories when the ship was under attack by Astikai. Not only did I not want the experiment recreated, I didn't want her getting at it." She hesitated, pushing harder into her mind. It hurt, but Ushio could withstand it, at least if it was for the truth.

"That ship was escaping from Athena, right after the Disappearance. I can't really remember anyone else who was there, but I think they all died, killed by Astikai." Again, moments of pause before she spoke again, "Astikai attacked while the experiment was underway, at least that's what I think. I only have vague images of her as the world seemed to be collapsing around us, then things only become clear when I'm leaving the planet and boarding the ship. No, not _the_ ship." Ushio's voice had a sense of wonder in it as she said, " _My_ ship." Her eyes opened up wide in awe, "Who was I back then?" she wondered.

She shook her head, "But speculation aside, that's all I can remember. It gets blurry during the end of the experiment, and there's some images of Astikai doing _something,_ but I have no idea what. Back then, I feel like I didn't know Astikai, like she didn't matter at all." Columbine nodded.

"That would match with what we know. She wasn't well-known at all till ten years ago. I just assumed that she worked in the shadows, but it could be possible that she just had no importance at all." She looked up at Ushio, "So her intervention in the experiment led to her rise…that power she has, probably gained from whatever she did."

Ushio agreed, "That would seem likely. If the others would actually tell us more, it might help me remember but…" She trailed off, not wanting to court paranoia.

Columbine picked up for her, "But they're probably hiding something. The truth of their nature is something that we wouldn't like. But at least we have the rest of my unit. They will be loyal to me in the event of conflict, which I feel is almost inevitable at this point." Neither of them liked the sound of that, but neither was oblivious to the obvious.

"When we get out of the warp next, you need to break through the next seals." Ushio said, "My memories of how to conduct this will be at the very bottom. But before that, we'll have the entire story of what happened." She sighed, "I want to know what this was all about, but at the same time I don't want anyone possessing knowledge of this." Ushio gulped, and slowly met Columbine's gaze. "I want to know, but at the same time no one _should_ know."

Columbine understood. "Then once we're done, we wipe out everyone who has any knowledge of its existence." She said sadly. "Except ourselves, though that's still a risk."

The thought of that silenced both of them. Eventually Columbine asked, "Do you know anything about that girl? Any memory relate to her?"

Ushio shook her head. "Nothing solid has come up about her. However…she seems familiar. Like a person you once knew who has changed after a long time of not seeing them." Quietly, she said, "She feels like a memory, but not one from the past. Like nostalgia from something that has yet to happen." Ushio sighed, laying back on the bed, "It just doesn't make any sense."

However, she was perturbed when no reply came from Columbine for what seemed like too long for her. Ushio sat her head up a little, and saw that the girl was stuck in thought. "Columbine?" She asked with concern.

"Just thinking about that girl," Columbine said, as if she was on the cusp of a realization that she couldn't quite find, "She looks like the one in my dream, the one by Astikai, so I feel like there's some connection, but I don't know what. The one by Astikai is in a cage, as though she's a prisoner. They feel like twins, maybe they were both once loyalists." But she didn't seem to find any great meaning in that, "You don't think Alicia relates to the experiment, but you feel like you know her. She's almost like the twin of the girl that Astikai has, who is clearly something…terrible. I feel like that girl is the source of Astikai's power, but I don't know why or how that would work. They have to be connected but I don't know how." Columbine explained.

Ushio had no more ideas than her, so she stayed quiet. Columbine fell into silence as well, realizing that there was no more evidence to consider. Finally, if only to shift to a new topic, Columbine said, "Apologies if you were disturbed earlier, I had to speak to Cherepia."

"Why's that?" Ushio asked. "And I wasn't disturbed."

Columbine took a deep breath, then looked around the room as if someone would be watching them. "Hjalma and her associates have a double agent with Astikai. I thought it was Columbine, but it's not her, and it's not anyone in my unit. So we think it's Ciuatl." She looked at Ushio, "Any evidence on your end to suggest this?"

Ushio shook her head. "The girl was reclusive, and even when she did show herself she didn't speak much. It couldn't have been any of the other Tzeentchians, as Ciuatl would have figured them out. She seems to be the most likely candidate." The girl agreed.

Columbine stood up. "I've yet to speak to Ingwe about this, I'll see if she has any more ideas. Once I return, we can go speak to Alicia again, see if she knows anything more. If she is related to Athena, and somehow connected to that experiment and the other girl, she might remember something important about ten years ago."

* * *

It had been discomforting for Columbine, not seeing as Ingwe with nearly the regularity that she once had. Their various tasks precluded that, but it only made the times they could speak all the more sweet. A short knock was followed by Columbine entering anyways, doubting that there was any reason not to.

She found Ingwe in the middle of pacing back and forth across the room, and the girl stopped smoothly on her heel and turned to face her. The door shut behind Columbine, who said, "Hello, doing alright?"

Ingwe nodded. "Find anything out?"

Columbine considered what they knew for certain. And in those terms, basically nothing new had been uncovered. "Ushio is starting to remember some things. It will take some more time, certainly. We think there's a connection between the girl we took on Cyprus and the girl Astikai has, that one she keeps locked up in that cage. Ushio knows that she sealed her memories after fleeing Athena, when Astikai took her. Astikai definitely intervened and disrupted the experiment, which caused the disappearance."

"That's all?" Ingwe asked.

Columbine sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. We'll have to wait until we get out of the warp next. As for the girl from Cyprus…" A shudder ran through Columbine's body. She realized that she'd never told Ingwe about her nightmare. A part of her wondered if she should, _do_ _…_ _do I trust Ushio more than her?_ She thought for a moment, but quickly cast the thought aside and spoke, "When we were running from Astikai…I had a dream. A nightmare, really. It was of a girl, who scared me, like she was a daemon or something worse. That girl was the same girl who Astikai keeps locked up in her room, I've told you before."

Ingwe furrowed her brow. "That girl was in your dream, you mean that she was acting consciously?"

"Definitely," Columbine confirmed. "That girl entered my head, and found out we were headed to Cyprus. The girl from Cyprus, Alicia, looks almost the exact same as her." Ingwe was shocked.

"So…she is connected, then?" Columbine nodded in reply.

She explained. "But we don't know how. That's something I'll hopefully discover the next chance I get to look into her mind." She shifted her feet. "But there is something else I need to ask you about. I believe that there is a double agent working for Hjalma and her associates, who was reporting on us for at least several years, if not for the entire ten. I have checked Cherepia, and she has checked the rest of our unit. None of them are the one. We currently suspect Ciuatl, though that is mostly because we don't think anyone else could be it. I was wondering if you have discovered anything about such an agent."

Ingwe thought for a few seconds. Then her face lit up. "I remember some conversation I caught implied something like that. They're still receiving information about Astikai and the crew. Apparently some were questioning fighting you, perhaps they had some idea that Cherepia would lead the others to betray Astikai."

Columbine shook her head. "Would've been nice if they told me that," She shook her head, "But fine, they can keep playing these games."

Ingwe shrugged. "There's not much we can do. They definitely trust us, I believe. Besides the occasional glance behind their back, I think that we could pull off a coup right now and seize control." She chuckled, "Not that would be a good idea."

Columbine agreed, "I don't want bloodshed. Tamashii and Dvasia are tougher than any of us, a fight wouldn't help anything, especially not with Astikai chasing us. But that's at least comforting that they won't be stabbing me in the back, though I suppose they might just be keeping their enemies closer than their friends." But she cracked a grin, "This is getting more and more exciting by the second."

Ingwe shared the expression, "You seem to enjoy the odds." She commented.

"It's the only way I can have fun these days." Columbine replied, only slightly joking. "Well, if you've nothing more, I should get back to Alicia. She's not going full 'Goddess will smite you filthy traitors' on us, so perhaps we can talk this out."

Ingwe nodded. "Well, I'll see you later then. Good luck."

Columbine waved her hand goodbye as she stepped, "Thank you, for everything." She was gone before Ingwe's expression changed.

* * *

The girl's demeanor had surprisingly changed since Columbine last saw her. Gone from her face was the sadness, as was the fear and consternation. Replacing this was a sense of calm, accompanied by some unnaturalness as she looked around the room at seemingly nothing.

Columbine didn't sit, and Ushio too felt uncomfortable taking a seat, so both stood facing the girl. Her random glances around the room came to a stop, but seemed to have been calming her. That already made the two uneasy, but Columbine wasn't about to show that to a subject of an interrogation. "Are you calmer, in the warp?" She wondered.

Alicia looked surprised by the question, but no answer came out as she tried to dodge their gazes. "This would be her connection, it seems." Columbine said out of the corner of her mouth to Ushio. Alicia took note of their words, but she was in position to be critical of what they said of her.

Columbine leaned over the table, slowly placing her hands down. "Alicia, do you happen to have a twin?" The girl frowned, and shook her head. However, the motion was not without its own uneasiness, and Columbine felt there was more. "Listen, we are only holding you until we get the information we want. Our intentions do not extend beyond that. You talking will get yourself freed far faster, and we're no Inquisition who will torture you for such things."

Alicia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She stared off at the corner for a few seconds, before she said quietly, "I don't know of any twin. There is some girl…that looks like me who appeared twice in my dreams." A shudder ran through her body, as though she was telling secrets she had never spoken before.

"So you know something about why we took you?" Columbine asked. Alicia furiously shook her head from side to side.

"I know nothing!" she cried. "There may be these strange things occurring, but-"

"Where were you ten years ago?" Columbine cut through her shouts.

Alicia's eyes widened. "The Sileye Front, on campaign," She said unsteadily.

"Do you remember anything strange that happened, any specific day or something like that?" Columbine wondered.

Alicia's head hung low. "One of those days, I saw that girl in my dreams for the first time. And one day I passed out, as though some great wave of exhaustion had passed over me all of a sudden."

Columbine nodded. "If that was the same day as Athena, then they are definitely connected with each other." Ushio didn't disagree. Alicia was left stunned.

"What do you really want with me?" She begged.

Columbine felt a little bad for her, "We want the truth. I'm sorry that you're in the way. At this point, it seems like it was through no fault of your own." Alicia just shook her head.

"I don't care," She whispered, "I guess I am just a monster."

Ushio wanted to say something, Columbine could tell, but she seemed unable to find the right words. "We'll leave you be, then." Columbine said, taking Ushio's hand and practically dragging her out of the room.

"What was that for?" Ushio complained as the door shut behind them. Columbine collapsed back against the wall, hand coming to her head as she sighed.

The blonde covered her face with her hands as shudders ran through her body. _What am I doing, what am I doing?_ She thought to herself, not daring to even whisper a single word out loud. Ushio just stood in shock, unable to find a proper reaction.

"Columbine?" She asked, not having any idea what was happening, "What's wrong?"

It was the first time she'd seen Columbine truly angry. What scared Ushio more is that she knew the anger was aimed at her. "I'm supposed to protect people!" Columbine screamed, "That's why this all started! Because she told me that I could save them, that I could help them! That I could be there when that corpse of a Goddess wasn't!" She sank down to the floor, "And here I am now, absolutely pitiful, aren't I? I'm nothing, nothing at all." Her eyes were empty, staring forwards as she held both sides of her head.

"That girl…I shouldn't be doing this to her…she's just caught up in this entire mess, she didn't ask to be connected to the other, we don't even know the truth but…" Columbine felt tears rolling down her cheeks. The sensation surprised her, for it was one she had not experienced in a long while.

Ushio took a few steps back. "Columbine…what's wrong? What are you talking about?" That girl understood that her words were coming from her heart. For the first time in many years, she really did feel… _something,_ for somebody else.

The corridor was in silence as Columbine paused. "Do you want to know about my past?" she asked, "All those years I hid away?"

Ushio nodded, feeling like she shouldn't. "I do," She said.

"Once, someone told me that I should strive to protect people." Columbine shook her head. "But I've never protected a single damn thing." A loud gasp echoed off the cold, lifeless walls. Columbine felt her eyes opening up wider.

Ushio's arms were wrapped around her. "Columbine…" She tried to find something to say, "I…I didn't like who I was either. A part of me feels like that's why I sealed those memories, because I didn't want the me who would make such a terrible experiment and carry it out." She took a deep breath, "But you…you haven't run from that self, that past that makes you hurt."

"You're strong, Columbine. Maybe that's all I can say, but I can definitely say that." Ushio whispered. Columbine didn't reply. She sat there. For once in her life, she let herself be weak. Really, she couldn't tell why it was Ushio she showed this weakness to, but she felt no shame in the act.

* * *

At first her body had been shaking. She hadn't felt so bad about the fear that coursed through her, for the ground also shook. From where she huddled the girl couldn't tell exactly what made the world shake, but all around her raged a war, and that had to be the ultimate cause.

She pushed herself down against the grassy rise, desperately trying to shield herself from what lay on the other side. Her hands covered her ears, as she cowered from the sound of battle. Then the shuddering stopped. "Columbine," a stern but warm voice called her name.

The blonde girl stopped shivering as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. Slowly, she forced her eyes open. The armored figure that knelt before her looked down at her. "Come on, don't be afraid, I'm here." Columbine felt another shudder run through her body, but she kept it under control.

The world shook again, but she didn't tremble. "It…it's just like before." She choked out, "When-when they came, and they killed everyone," Columbine cried, "It's just like before." The hand on her shoulder tightened, and yanked her up.

Columbine flinched as the girl held her up to look across the battlefield. Stretching out across the hilly grasslands was a scene of chaos. Battle lines appeared to be nonexistent as individual knights battled groups of monstrosities that Columbine knew all too well.

"It's scary, I know." The girl behind Columbine said, "But you can't protect anyone if you're scared. And that's why we exist. Our purpose is to protect people. We fight here because if we don't, these xenos will go elsewhere, and kill others." She sounded sad as she said, "Sometimes we can't protect everyone, because no one can protect everyone. But we can do more than anyone else."

Columbine felt herself calming down. Suddenly, she didn't feel scared anymore. Her hand came to wipe away the tears that started to emerge from her eyes. "I'll…" She started, "I'll…fight." Columbine said it again, with conviction, "I will fight. Because I want to protect everyone."


	18. Night of Revelations

**Again, sorry this is so late. I have to admit I'm not pleased with the pace I'm working at, but I'd prefer quality over quantity. Last year I feel like I put a lot of sloppy chapters out just because I was trying to work by a strict schedule. I've been more satisfied overall with the work I've done this year, though it is less.**

* * *

It was only normal that despite our desires, Aurelia and I didn't find the time to speak alone for a while. With all that went on in the morning, and the insistence of everyone to check on us at breakfast, we didn't speak for a long time. But that care that the others displayed, at least for the most part as a few didn't bother, did warm my heart.

The word had somehow spread to the point where many did come to inquire if we were alright. I wasn't surprised that Priscilla didn't even meet my eyes. In truth, I didn't want to meet hers either. I wasn't even less sure of how to speak to her now than I was with Aurelia.

At least we were afforded privacy at lunch. I was surprised that even in the two weeks since we had first come here, things had gotten a lot easier. Not anymore was I completely devastated after a session of training, I really felt as though I was getting stronger.

But no action of Germana could make me more adept at speaking to another person. I stared at Aurelia, as it slowly dawned on me that we really had never talked about the other as a person, not beyond our conversations about our problems.

She started uneasily, surprising me a little, but I guess that was a result of her changing attitude towards me. "You're a highborn, right?" Aurelia asked, though she already knew the answer to the question, I felt that her intention was merely to start something.

As such, it was only right that I respond. "Yes," I said.

"What was it like?" Aurelia wondered, "Really, I want to know what it was like to live such a life."

I was unsure of what to say. It was clear that she wished for a comparison to her own life, but I'd never really given thought to the idea. "Well, it was…I don't know, it was my life." I shrugged, "Compared to this, obviously less tiring, but…I guess I was stressed in my own way back then."

Aurelia frowned, "Why's that?"

"My parents expected me to contract for practically my entire life, especially since it was confirmed I had potential." I explained. My cheeks spread in a grin, but I wasn't sure which emotion it was supposed to convey. "But here I am, so I guess all that stress was nothing."

"Did you choose to contract in the end?" Aurelia asked, "It was your own decision?"

I nodded without hesitation. "in the end, I realize that it was really what I wanted. Denying that would just be…I don't know, I knew that it was right, so I contracted."

"Do you still believe that?" the girl across from me wondered.

Once more, I confirmed that without second-guessing myself. Even now-no, _especially_ now, I knew that my decision was the right one. "May I ask something personal?" I wondered cautiously. "Really personal, I should add."

"Vergiana, you stabbed me in the chest. How much closer can we get?" She jested, but then seriously said, "Go ahead, you have a right to know at this point."

Slowly, I said, "If you regret contracting, why did you even do it? Why did you join the knights as well?"

Aurelia searched for an answer. I waited. "At first, I really did want to contract. I wanted to leave that place where I thought I was stuck. But now, and maybe-just maybe, this is hindsight, but it seemed to much better. There were people I really loved there, who loved me, but here I am now with practically nothing." I didn't miss the fact that I was precluded from that group. Not that I expected to be in it.

"I came to the knights because I really did want to fight." Aurelia spoke with sadness, "It was only until I left that I really realized what I had gotten myself into. And since then, I've only looked back."

I won't pretend to have some in-depth understanding of the atmosphere between us. Rather, I'd say the reason my hand reached out was more reflex than anything else. Aurelia gasped as I clasped her hand in my own. "I can't understand, of course. But…I just want to say that I'll do anything I can. Because the past is something I can only remember fondly, but I'd rather move forwards."

Aurelia looked shocked. "V-Vergiana." She said. Even though she didn't meet my eyes, her quiet "Thank you," still warmed my heart.

* * *

Once more, Aurelia and I sat beside one another as the Thunderhawk roared through the night sky. I realized now that I was a little worried about what was ahead. It wasn't a leap of logic to figure that the weekly hunts would begin to get more and more difficult as we progressed. But still, I trusted that I wouldn't be allowed to die.

Aurelia was quiet, but I couldn't criticize or even really comment for I was as well. No one seemed willing to share their emotions with the others. But things like this seemed to be slowly easing us into the idea of working with one another.

I glanced at Aurelia. A thought passed through my mind. _We really should use this more often. It's supposed to be what I'm good at or something._ I told her. Aurelia flinched for a moment, but then replied.

 _I suppose. It's private._ That was part of my reasoning as well. A few seconds passed before I said anything.

 _Are you worried?_

 _I see no reason to be? They won't let us die. Doing so would be pointless even now._ Aurelia replied matter-of-factly. She really wasn't afraid. But she could tell that I was, just by the fact that I asked such a question to her. _Don't worry, we'll be fine. Besides, we're both competent._

I appreciated the praise, but it didn't go all the way. Though, I wasn't expecting that from her. Whatever she could do to sooth my mind would be enough, and just those few words did that very well.

A familiar sound drew my attention, and I looked up as the cold wind came rushing into the compartment again. We all went silent as Germana shifted her feet. "You all know the drill." She said. "First squad is out first, come on now. I'd rather not push anyone out."

With a bit of reluctance slowing me, I wasn't the first one up there this time. But the experience of being pushed out of a fast-moving aircraft wasn't something I'd like to repeat. Jumping out on my own was new, but at least I could take heart in the fact that my own mind considered it a good decision.

Lost in thought, I didn't really pay mind to anyone leaping out till four were already gone. Then it was Aurelia's turn. A short leap carried her out. Seeing her moving without any hesitation spurred me forwards, as did the desire to not be forcibly ejected, and I leapt forwards into the cold night air.

Once again my body filled up with the anxiety of plummeting towards what would be for anyone but a magical girl a certain death, but it wasn't quite as bad as the last time. _How can you not be worried by this?_ I sent to Aurelia, unable to even shut my eyes as the ground came up faster and faster.

 _I know that I can stop myself._ The answer seemed simple, but it was the truth. I wasn't going to die from this, but still I worried. Sure enough, the same circles of glimmering magic halted my descent, and I was perfectly untouched as I stood up beside Aurelia.

A brief scan of the city revealed a cloud of the miasma to be a few kilometers away. However, I spotted several more clouds, indicating multiple separate groups of the creatures. There were twenty-one groups in total, I counted from where I was, and that wasn't reassuring.

Catarina called us all together once again. _Aurelia,_ she said, _count the groups, make sure we know their number._ As that was done, she explained, _we're going to have to split up. However, the individual bunches are smaller, so splitting into our pairs should be enough._

 _Twenty-one confirmed._ Aurelia stated.

 _Alright then. We split from here, and start sweeping through the city. Never get too far from any other group, and be ready to break off and assist another at any time. Hopefully the wraiths are stupid and don't focus their efforts, but from what we've seen, I don't think they're intelligent._ Catarina finished her speech. _Let's go!_

We split off as we summoned our weapons into our hands. Aurelia and I moved off towards the manufactory district. Four groups of wraiths occupied that area. I followed Aurelia, doing my best to keep my calm. There wasn't anything that really changed this from before. Aurelia was still at my side, and I was at her side. Just that would be enough, I was sure.

There were a couple minutes before we'd make contact, so I thought about asking Aurelia something. I wouldn't say that the question was nagging at me. It was more a curiosity more than anything else. _Did you have anyone else besides your family, back home?_ I asked her. Her face went unseen, but I guessed it now showed some level of embarrassment. _Besides them, was there anyone else you…you know, loved?_

Aurelia suddenly leapt further than before, and I stumbled in surprise before making the running leap to catch up to her. _I've no right to lie, given all that we've exchanged._ But she still waited a few seconds, even with the first group of wraiths milling about on the rooftops only a hundred meters. We paused together, as she said, _there was someone who liked me a lot. As for my feelings, I won't deny that I returned his to some extent._

That was all she said, and I felt that was all I was going to get. _No need to think about that kind of stuff now, then._ I told her, _let's go._

Aurelia cracked a grin, _aren't I supposed to be the one with the hopeful attitude?_ She questioned, before she leapt forwards. I shared her grin as I followed.

Sure enough, the wraiths were relatively easy. Smaller in number than the last time, and without those more powerful types seen before, the first group was easily dispatched of. I even felt confident in myself as I did it. Aurelia and I trusted each other now. We didn't fight together with teamwork and cooperation, but both of us could comfortably fight with our back turned, knowing the other would be fine unless something was said.

I almost found myself really having fun as we dispatched the second group. Speaking to Aurelia in the midst of the combat, I wondered, _did you ever see yourself having fun._ I leapt to the side as a trio of beams hit the rooftop, before jumping forwards with a swing.

As the wraiths dissipated, Aurelia replied, _I've gotten into fights before…I enjoyed them, I'll admit. And besides, why would sign up for a life of battle if you weren't going to enjoy yourself?_ She had a point. A few more shots from her blew apart the remaining creatures, and the world was eerily silent once again, save for the ambient noise of the city that had faded into the background whilst in the miasma.

I smiled at Aurelia, before I suddenly whipped my head to the side. My brow furrowed. "Aurelia?" I asked, "Do you sense that too?" The streets below us were empty, everyone having long since returned home. I looked down for the source of the strange feeling in my head, and saw a warehouse that seemed to be the source.

"I do…" She said quietly, stepping up beside me. "What do you think that is?"

I shook my head, "I don't know." Then I turned to her. "Want to go find out?" I wasn't joking.

Aurelia nodded in agreement. She started scanning over it as I sent off a quick message to the others, _found a strange signal or something, briefly checking. No need to pick up the slack for us, I doubt this will take long._

"There's something there. I can't exactly see it. Probably some sort of wraith." She said, "But it does feel very strange. Almost like it's…calling to me." I nodded, my mind was picking up the same sensation. We leapt down from the roof, walking towards the warehouse. There wasn't much light, but I found that my eyes seemed to partially compensate for that.

The occasional glance behind us showed that the wraiths did not seek to chase us down, a good thing certainly. Our weapons were at the ready as we approached the doors. One of them was pushed open just a crack, barely enough for a person to enter.

I took the first step through, blade at the ready. Aurelia followed right behind, guns raised. Nothing tangible was beyond the door. Telepathy and clairvoyancy couldn't miss anything, we figured. So if there was a threat, it wasn't something that would spring out from the darkness.

Thinking of all that I knew magic to be capable of, I extended my left hand, and willed a small globe of blue light into existence. A couple meters around us was well-lit, while shadows ruled completely about half a dozen away from us. "There," Aurelia said, and my head turned to follow her gaze.

To the side of the warehouse, up a staircase, was a strange symbol. "That's it," Aurelia said, "That's what I saw." I nodded, and we started towards the stairs. Again, I led the way, both of us glancing around every couple seconds.

I almost jumped at the voice that popped into my head. _Did you find anything?_ Asked Catarina.

 _Found some strange symbol in the air. We don't know what it is. Give us a couple more minutes and we'll at least get out of here._ I replied as we slowly began walking up the stairs. The dark arrangement of sharp angles that emanated a dim grey glow sat lifeless in the air, unresponsive to our approach.

The sheath of my sword at my side, I slid the weapon back in, and while keeping the light in my other hand, reached out with my right. Behind me, Aurelia leveled both her weapons at the thing, wary of any trace of hostility.

Curiosity is what guided me forwards. I had to know what this thing was. My fingers hesitated just before they made contact. For a few moments, I second-guessed myself. A glance back at Aurelia confirmed that she was there. As if that was all I needed, I moved my hand that last little centimeter.

A shiver ran down my spine as the tips of my fingers touched the dark symbol, and with a few sparks of energy, they passed right through. I kept pushing my hand, till the entire thing was through the symbol. Gasping, I looked around the thing, while holding my hand in place. Nothing was there on the other side.

Reflexively I yanked my arm back, afraid of what could lay on the other side. _It appears to be some sort of portal._ I told Catarina. In the depths of my mind surged up a little beast, which would in seconds come to overwhelm every part of my conscious. _We're going to investigate._ I decided, making sure Aurelia heard as well.

She nodded in agreement. _Don't worry,_ I sent to Catarina, _I feel like this is just another test. Probably some magic program or something of the sort._ Such things I'd read about in those books about the mage knights. This seemed a bit different, but not too much. _We'll retreat if things get bad. I'd say that if we're not out in five minutes, be worried._ With that, I stuck my entire arm through the symbol, and finding no sensation that would drive me back, I took a step forwards and my entire body disappeared. Aurelia followed right after me.

* * *

On the other side lay an entirely different room. Bright lamps hung from a tall ceiling, their globe shapes filling the tall and wide room with a sort of strange light that annoyed my eyes, as though it wasn't quite right. The light in my left hand slowly dissipated on command, and I found my opposite hand drawn towards the hilt of my blade.

Stretching out for what must have been some twenty meters in front of us was a long hall, like the entrance to a mansion. Past that, two staircases led to the same upper walkway, which connected to several doors. Just beyond the staircases was a set of tall wooden doors, while other smaller doors were in the walls of the lower floor as well.

Not a discomforting sight on its own, nothing to be worried about. Save for what it all looked like. What I was seeing couldn't have been real, I thought that the moment I entered this space, for it wasn't what reality looked like. Everything looked as though it were a drawing, or perhaps a paper-Mache construction. It was impossible, but there it was in front of my eyes.

I took a step forwards, mind not even paying attention to my body as I stared around in shock. Fear is what guided the look over my shoulder, to confirm that Aurelia was there with me. "You're seeing this too, right?" I asked.

She nodded, with her fingers now clenching more tightly the grips of the pistols. "Do you have any idea what this is?" Aurelia asked as she scanned the room. There was no sign of movement, or anything else. But just the very appearance of this place was enough to unsettle us both.

I looked over my shoulder, hoping to see some kind of exit. But there was nothing there. No doors. Just the wall. Like anyone in a situation from which they were denied exit, we searched for a way out. "The door," Aurelia suggested. I had the same idea, and we slowly advanced through the room.

We kept ourselves at the ready, but there was no trace of anything but the two of us. My mind reached out, but I found nothing. I couldn't even locate the minds of our comrades. Aurelia searched with her clairvoyance, but found nothing more than this room. There didn't appear to be anything beyond.

Our slow steps echoed around the hall, the eerie repetition only highlighting our solitude. "What do you think this place is?" I wondered.

"No idea," She said, voice hollow. We were simultaneously amazed and terrified. But we reached the doors without incident. As before, I went first, pushing out with my hands on both doors. What I found was no escape.

Or at the very least, nothing that I would willingly step into. A dark void stretched out before my eyes, neverending. Though the room behind us was lit, none of that radiance spilled out into the blackness. Not a single thing was visible out there.

"Aurelia," I said quietly. She already knew what to do. My heart pounded as I waited for the results of her look into the all-consuming darkness, but not an ounce of hope swelled up as she spoke.

A sad shake of her head, "There's nothing that I can see. It feels like…something is out there, but I have no idea what that might be." She sounded worried. Genuinely afraid. That fact alone was enough to bring me close to panic.

Struggling to reign in my shallow and coarse breathes, I said, "Should we go out there?" Aurelia looked behind us, and I followed her concerned glance. Unless we were to check all of the doors, this was the only way.

"Let's try," Aurelia suggested, bending down to one knee. Gun set on the floor, her hand slowly reached out for the darkness, to test if anything was there. My muscles tensed, and my arm subconsciously reached for my sword, as though something would come springing up from the depths of the blackness.

Her fingers found nothing there, only an empty space. Then her arm was yanked back suddenly, with the lack of warning almost sending my blade flying out at nothing at all. But I suddenly realized that it was no sudden attack that made her recoil, rather it was the fright that was all too clear on her face.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" she whispered quietly. Aurelia spoke like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. But her disbelief had more likely sprung from the fear. It saddened and scared me that all I could do was shake my head.

"Wraiths…can't do this, I'd think." I said, digging into my mind. "But, who could have? Is this place made by someone else, another magical girl?" My eyes lit up, "Perhaps this is another test?"

It's likely that the only reason Aurelia nodded was to try and find some reasonable explanation for the impossibility of the situation. "Well, how do we solve it, then?" Aurelia asked. Once again her eyes were drawn back to the other doors. "Perhaps it's supposed to test our patience?"

"Maybe our bravery?" I suggested, eyes still straining to try and find something in the dark. "We're supposed to just go out there?"

A dry tone replied, "Maybe that'd be confusing bravery with stupidity." Aurelia turned around again. "We shouldn't dawdle, otherwise the others will start to get worried. Though we could just wait for help."

I agreed with that idea, "They'll come looking. And maybe that's the test, to see if we're capable of waiting for help when we need it." That idea sounded good, and made the conclusion we just reached look all the more intelligent and correct. So of course we were willing to sit back and wait.

The room, and anything that may lay beyond it, was completely silent. Our breathing was the loudest noise after we chose to wait, and though we both stared perplexed at the dark abyss, we became a little calm. The telltale crackling of a spark flashing to life shocked us both, and by the time we'd whipped around to face the source, the blaze had already begun. It spread with unnatural speed, to the point where we couldn't pinpoint the origin though the fire had lived for only a few seconds at that time.

We both took a step back reflexively as the roaring flames spread throughout the entire room, only hesitating to take another when we remembered what lay behind us. "We can't stay," I said, and Aurelia had come to the same conclusion. A glance behind me reminded me yet again of that formless void, but it was the only salvation available to us, as the blaze swallowed all other possible egresses.

"Come on!" Aurelia shouted, spinning around and leaping into the dark. Confronted with such an action, I knew that I couldn't stay alone, so I reluctantly followed after her, plummeting down into the dark abyss. That fear of falling surged up again, and I screamed out as we fell down towards a bottom that might not exist at all.

Then suddenly, there was something. It appeared out of nowhere, a floor that came into existence without the slightest sign or warning. Aurelia had already landed when I touched down, both of us completely unharmed, though we'd made no effort to slow our descent, given the lack of time between the floor's appearance and our impacts.

It was out first instinct to look back upwards, to find a burning rectangle that slowly faded from sight. As the roaring flames consumed that room, a ceiling steadily formed above our heads. Ten seconds were gone, and now we were in a small square of a room, with a single door.

Both of us were breathing hard, our hearts pounding. "Right after we decided to wait," Aurelia said. My eyes went wide. Our gazes met as we both realized it, but she was the one to say it out loud. "Something reacted to that decision." She said in disbelief.

"So…this place is controlled by someone," I said hurriedly, desperately seeking an explanation that I found comforting, "That's fine, that still fits with the idea that this is a test."

Aurelia nodded, though she didn't appear to be so certain. "Well, if we're to be forced forwards, let's go." She gestured to the door. I nodded, and once again I was the first one. Fear threatened to dominate my mind, but I managed to ward it off with the thoughts that I was just being tested, and that there was no chance of death. If I believed that, then there was nothing to be afraid of.

Beyond that door, a door that bore no feature worth mentioning, was a similar hallway. A dark green carpet covered the floor, while featureless dark wood stood as the walls. Closer examination of that wood showed no trace of individual planks, nor any features that wood hewn from trees would show. And still, the whole world looked as though a child had scribbled it into being, only Aurelia and I stood out from this constant twisted appearance.

The hallway branched out into two corridors at the end. We walked slowly towards the fork, sharing no words. Neither of us had any idea of anything to say. All we were doing was hoping that our vague beliefs were correct. We stood, stopped in between the two passageways. Both led away to corridors that looked exactly the same.

"A maze," Aurelia proposed. I nodded.

"The left wall," I said, holding the scabbard in the other hand as my palm was pressed against the wood. Aurelia followed suit, right after dissipating the left hand's gun. We started to walk down the right hallway, keeping our hands on the wall. As we reached the turn left, we glanced down both ways, before keeping to the left wall.

There was still nothing. Nothing but the sound of our breathes and footsteps. With every passing second the fear that welled in my heart threatened to surge up and destroy the flimsy barrier that was the story which I had convinced myself to believe. Glances behind showed an Aurelia not nearly as frightened as she was before, perhaps having come to terms with the situation.

I wished that I could borrow her strength but…I didn't want to ask her. Or maybe I was afraid to be weak. I couldn't tell, but she wasn't someone I was willing to break down in front of, not in a situation like this. But there was no end to the maze. We followed the left wall. For some fifteen minutes, we walked in silence, calm but aware. And we found nothing. We didn't even loop around to any place we recognized. We just kept going on and on, sometimes moving so that we had to have intersected with a previous corridor we saw, but we didn't.

Finally, I stopped. "This is getting nowhere," I said, and turned around. Aurelia nodded. "Let's head back, and try to take some other turns. Perhaps this is one of the routes that ends in nothing." I drew my sword, and drew an X on the wall where I stood. "If we come back here…" I was unable to finish, knowing that if we were being turned around against our will then there was little hope for any escape.

We started back, following the right wall, for it had been the left on our way to where we stopped. Every now and then, I carved another mark into the wall. Finally, after five minutes, we came to an intersection where four hallways branched out. We both stood looking on in disbelief.

Though we had followed the same way back, and nothing had changed till now, we had not seen this intersection before. I looked at Aurelia to confirm that I wasn't losing my mind, but she displayed similar shock. "What's happening?" I asked, taking a step back.

"We're being played with," Aurelia replied. She paused for a beat, then, "Leave a mark here, on the ground. Then we go through each of these hallways. Whoever is doing this will get bored eventually." The confidence in her voice soothed me, and after another X was carved into the ground I was leading the way down the right corridor.

Gradually, my breathing became faster and faster. Shallower and shallower. My eyes darted around the empty halls, trying to find something that might help. But there was nothing. Not even some masterminding entity upon which I could release my pent-up emotions.

That was perhaps the worst part. Is that we had no idea what this place was, nor what was doing this. If this were a test, then it should be over. An unsolvable maze isn't that good of a test, is it? Every time I turned a corner and found only more hallways my heart sank a little deeper.

I wanted to burst out crying, to fall to my knees and huddle up against the wall. It had been over half an hour since we had begun, and we had gotten nowhere. The rightmost hall from that intersection had led us to nothing, so we went back. When we should have reached that same intersection, we found another room. It was the room that pushed me over the brink.

For there was only one door, the one from which we entered. And though there should have been only three other walls, there were enough walls to show every single mark I had ever made in the maze. Including the one on the ground.

I froze up. My knees gave way and I fell against the doorframe, feeling tears slide down my cheeks as I started to weep. "We'll never escape!" I cried, "We're trapped here forever!" Shudders ran through my body as I leaned against the wall.

My own gasp silenced the sobs. A pair of arms embraced me from behind. They held on tight, and I didn't resist them. My legs gave way fully, and I slumped to the floor, only to feel myself lean back against something soft and warm. Those arms kept holding me.

Her voice was only inches from my ear as she whispered, "Shhh….it's alright." I relaxed into Aurelia's grip, practically going limp. "Please, now is not the time to panic."

I nodded, but barely heard her words. It was more that she was there. Why was I scared, when Aurelia was there? "But…but how are we going to-" I stammered out, my mind rife with terror.

Aurelia interrupted me, completely silencing me with a tone not too different in sound from that normal dry voice of hers, but carrying a meaning so completely different. "Stop being an idiot," She said quietly. "We're going to get out of here, one way or another."

I don't know why I believed her, for I think even she knew that there was little to back up her words. But I had to trust her. Because otherwise, what was I to do? If Aurelia was there for me, I was safe. I didn't have to worry. "You really are stupid." Aurelia whispered. I started to cry again, softly this time.

But as long as her arms were wrapped around me, I would never break down as I did. For a minute, we sat there together. I wept softly as Aurelia held me. Pressing myself against her half-unconsciously, I whispered "Whatever this place is…" I said quietly, "Whatever…whoever…is controlling all of this…it can't be one of us, it can't be a test."

Steadily, I shifted so that I was facing Aurelia, and my arms wrapped around her body. "You're right," She agreed. But she no idea in place of that, "The wraiths attacked us straight away, there was no trickery. So either some other magical girl, an enemy, made this, or…" She shuddered to think of any other option.

"Some kind of daemon," I whispered in horror, clutching tighter though my current grip was already strong. Once again my tears surged outwards, only for Aurelia to cut through my sobs with her voice.

"It doesn't matter." It sounded like she struggled to believe her words, but she said them anyways, "We will get out of here. Alive."

I can't say why it was important to me that I know, but I had to ask, "Together?"

A few seconds of silence, then a nearly inaudible affirmation, "Together."

Somehow, I was saddened. "But…but it would be easier without me. I'd just weigh you down. I'm scared, and you can't stop every five minutes to tell me everything will be alright." I pushed myself away from her suddenly. Eyes glittering, I met her own, and said, "So…just leave me."

I gasped again as I suddenly felt a sting of pain on my cheek. My hand raised to feel the reddened skin, and I looked at her in shock. "You idiot." Aurelia spat at me. I pressed myself against the opposite wall as she stood to her feet. "You don't understand. You saved my life, you did a lot for me. So…if only for that reason, I'm not leaving you behind!" She was certain, I saw that in those eyes that I couldn't tear myself away from.

Her hand was extended for me to take. I looked at it, then back to her eyes, then to her hand. Shakily, I reached out to grab it. Our fingers slowly interlocked, and she pulled me up from the ground. Then her body was right up to mine, her mouth whispering into my ear.

She spoke secretively, as though others might hear. "We're in this together now. I'll take away your fear of the future, if you can make me feel like I made the right choice."

For a few seconds, I considered what she said. It made too much sense, to swear to never separate if only for that reason. "A deal, then." Aurelia nodded. Our fingers tightened for a few long seconds. Then we slowly stepped apart. Our hands were the last thing to be separated, arms stretching out as fingers gradually came undone.

"Now, let's get out of here." Aurelia said, a new confidence in her voice. Revitalized, I tried to put on a smile.

For now, the only way out of the room was the door we'd entered from. Now, I led the way out that door. It was only to be expected that the entire world beyond was changed. No more did a confusing maze lie before us. Or at least, it didn't seem to.

A wider hall terminated with a large pair of doors. The room resembled the one we first found ourselves in, albeit smaller and lacking a second floor, and any of the other doors. It was clear that the doors ahead of us were the way forwards.

Though we had no real idea of what actually lay ahead, a sense of finality had settled down upon us. What lay ahead was some kind of ending. Both of us could feel it, as though some presence beckoned us forwards, beckoned us to finally meet what had previously toyed with us.

"Are you ready?" I asked Aurelia, still worried myself.

She nodded. "Let's go, whatever this thing is, we'll defeat it." Aurelia took the lead. I readily followed behind her as she approached those doors. Before they opened, a deep breath was released from her lips, before both hands pushed out to fling the great doors ajar.

What spread out before us was a tall cylindrical room, great pillars holding up a multitude of floors that reached upwards before the sight was swallowed by a blindingly bright light. Fifty feet below where we stood was the floor, where a towering doll stood, staring up at is with a featureless face. Not a single article of clothing cover the doll, but neither did anything else. It was a smooth boy, devoid of anything. And reaching down from the bright light above were long strings, attached to the limbs of the creature as it danced about, perhaps beckoning us to join.

Aurelia and I both stood transfixed in a mixture of curiosity and terror. This thing, so clearly something inhuman yet entirely unlike what we thought of as a daemon, was what had made this entire space. It was the thing that had beckoned us here, after trying and failing to reduce us to despair. We would have stood there for longer, had the doors not come slamming shut behind us and forced us down onto the floor, for after the doorway there was empty space.

We landed in front of the tall doll, which exceeded my height by some fifteen feet. Plenty of us space was afforded to us by the thirty foot diameter of the room, but such facts were little considered, if thought of at all, as the doll clapped its hands excitedly, before rushing forwards.

To opposite directions we dodged as the thing's right arm came crashing down onto the marble, leaving a small crater in the previously pristine floor. "We have to kill it!" Aurelia called, and I nodded in reply. There was no other option.

But merely making that our objective did little to further its completion. The doll now flailed wildly with both its arms, forcing Aurelia and I to stay mobile to avoid its strikes that would most surely knock us out in a single strike. My heart was beating furiously, as I leapt aside from blow after blow. I suddenly realized that this was the first time I've fought anything so powerful, but my body treated it like it was the dozenth.

My muscles reacted with precision every time that wooden arm came smashing down towards me, and not a single blow struck home, though a few landed close. However, our dodging wasn't going to hurt whatever this thing was. _I'll distract it!_ Aurelia decided, _let me get its attention, then go in from behind!_

The report of her twin guns suddenly echoed around the close confines of the room, with the tall walls carrying the sound up into that bright light. Tiny pockmarks were drilled out all across the surface of the wooden construct, as Aurelia, tried to stay in front of the thing. It was only a couple seconds before the doll shifted its attention entirely to her. I positioned myself behind it, ready to strike with my blade.

But I doubted that Aurelia was ready for the speed that the great creature could display. A sudden jab from the thing's right arm smashed clean through a pillar, before a swipe from the left barely skimmed her leg, sending her tumbling to the ground. My mouth gaped open in shock, till a message from her sent my springing to action. _Ignore me! Just kill it!_

I leapt forwards into the air, aiming for the things head. A sudden spin that carried with it a swipe of its arm barely missed me, while the right arm now came down directly towards me. Shouting out in panic, I instinctively tightened my fingers and drew my sword. The katana leapt out from its scabbard to meet the oncoming strike, and a second before it would have crashed head-on into me, metal slid through wood.

A horrific scream filled our ears, and drowned out all thought in the room for a brief second. But my momentum hadn't ceased, and as the arm fell lifelessly to the floor below, I now came just above the doll's head. A shiver ran up my spine as I gazed for a split second at the featureless face, with no eyes to return my stare in any manner.

All it would take was for the doll to move its arm and it could smack me away. But a fresh hail of gunfire from behind distracted it. It whipped about, smashing down where Aurelia had been. She leapt up the wall, kicking off though the air as I fell back down to the ground. Her gunshots continued to chip away at it, till suddenly the doll shot upwards.

Aurelia was struck hard by the thing, falling downwards as the doll's strings pulled the creature up into the light. She tumbled down, unable to control her fall. I raced to where I hoped she'd land, dropping my sword and reaching out for her.

She landed neatly in my arms, though I almost lost my balance and toppled over in the process. For a moment, we looked into each other's eyes, both of us starting to blush, before we simultaneously remembered our situation. Aurelia slid from my arms, and I took several steps backwards, pausing only to take my sword, as we both looked up.

With our arms we made an effort to shield our eyes, and in the light we could barely make out the doll's feet. But descending down all around the larger creature were small contraptions, the same size as Aurelia and I. We braced ourselves for another round of battle, before we slowly backed into the center as we realized they came down all around.

Their feet touched the ground. In perfect synchronization, each doll performed a bow, before they stood up straight. Aurelia and I stood back to back, weapons at the ready. Then they rushed forwards, all in unison. _We can do this._ Aurelia said confidently, but the adrenaline that coursed through my body pushed back any thoughts of flight anyways.

The dolls that now advanced did not seem to match the power of the larger one, but they were equals in speed. I was surprised as they cross the dozen feet between us in a blink of an eye. But the tension their entrance had built up came snapping out in an instant.

My sword flew from its sheath once more, this time cutting right through one of the approaching dolls. Four others came forth on all sides but my back, covered by Aurelia, whose own opponents prevented her from rendering me any assistance. The same applied to me, of course.

I dodged around one jab, before swinging my sword wildly in the direction of another. Metal met wood, and the doll recoiled as its hand was chopped in half. I spun around just in time for the strikes of two others to hit me head on in the chest and gut, sending me stumbling backwards and almost falling over. Behind these four came eight others, with a total of eleven still facing me, Aurelia had the same number to be worried about.

It all moved so fast, I was truly surprised. A week before, against the wraiths, there wasn't the sense of danger that filled me right then. Rather, it could be compared to when Aurelia and I fought. That fight where we beat each other bloody, where I kept going long after my body was screaming in pain. It was a scary sensation, and it returned as I surged forth once again at these dolls.

I had to survive. Therefore, I had to keep fighting. One of the dolls was decapitated by a quick stroke, whilst the other quick-stepped back. I spun about to face the one whose hand I'd wounded, who now sought to strike with its clean limb. A dodge to the side prevented that, whilst I brought down with a swift stroke of my weapon.

But the remaining dolls had arrived, and now a trio converged on me. Winding up a strike, I leapt upwards with a horizontal slash that left marks across all their torsos, but failed to bring them down. They fell back, giving way to the next wave, this time five. I didn't make the same mistake, now stepping backwards rather than suffer a hit. To the right side of their formation I leapt, striking out at one before stepping away again. I knew that behind me was one leftover from the first wave, and now spun around to bring an end to it.

For all their speed, they weren't particularly powerful, and weren't the brightest creatures. They could only rush forwards at their target, sometimes having the foresight to avoid attack. With all that I'd learned in just two weeks of training, this fight was simple enough. The only difference is that it was real, it was deadly.

Seven left now, and they all came straight for me at once. It was then I realized that I could jump. The task of clearing their heads was trivial, and landing right behind them allowed one to receive a blade into its head before the others could react. I stepped back and to the side, swinging out merely as a defense to stop them from advancing.

My position allowed me to see Aurelia. She appeared to be faring better, her rapid fire better suited to larger groups of enemies, rather than a single powerful target. It was trivial for her to stay out of the way while slowly wearing them down.

But in the split second I was distracted, my opponents surrounded me again. Only a moment passed before they simultaneously attacked from all directions. Sliding my blade back into its scabbard, I pulled it back, then practically flung the katana forth, throwing my entire body into the slash. Three of the dolls were bisected right there, their forms toppling to the ground with resounding thuds.

Before I could get away, fresh strikes sent me stumbling away, this time toppling me over as the dolls pressed their advantage and hit again. I fell to my back, but just as I could raise my blade, the dolls staggered backwards. Aurelia took advantage of my prone position to fire indiscriminately, the bullets chipping away at the dolls till they fell lifeless to the ground.

And like that, it was over. The room was strangely silent, though the only other noise had been Aurelia's gunshots, and the odd sound of my sword striking away. I lay shuddering on the ground, staring up at the almost-blinding light, and the feet of the great doll that still sat concealed within that overwhelming glare.

I found a hand being offered to me, and I took it, slowly being helped up by Aurelia. "Thanks," I said quietly, "That's twice you've saved me now." Aurelia nodded, then quickly turned away from me, as though to hide something.

"It's not over yet," was all she said in reply to me, as she looked up once more at the ceiling.

"We have to destroy the big one," I said. "But how are we to get up there?" A brief glance around, in the few seconds we had, revealed that it would be difficult to slowly make our way up, and that would be assuming no mistakes were made, and that this doll had no other way of preventing us from reaching it.

"If one of us could somehow lift the other, then it'd be possible," Aurelia said.

"Well, we project force when we stop ourselves from smashing into the ground, so maybe the reverse is possible?" I wondered, "And when we jump too, maybe it's just a thought that triggers it."

"We've got to try," Aurelia said, when suddenly to our shock, we saw another two dozen figures descending from above. The forms of the dolls we'd just destroyed lay littered around us, but here came another wave. "Now," She added, then turned to me, "Come on, you're going. We'll count down from three. On one, you jump and I try pushing you upwards."

"Why not you?!" I cried, "I'm not going to leave you down here!" Aurelia sighed and aimed her gun upwards, firing a second-long burst up at the ceiling. The bullets had no visible effect, though some should have hit the doll's feet.

"You're better suited for this." She said, "Forget about stupid obligations and debts, they're not going to mean anything if we're both dead. Now come on!" Aurelia screamed. I could tell she was worried.

"Fine," I said. She was right, and denying that was pure stupidity. I sheathed my sword, holding onto the hilt tightly. Knowing it was possible, I started to charge the blade with energy, so that a single strike could end this. A few steps were taken back, and then we started, right as the dolls touched down and did their little bow.

"Three!" I started to move. "Two!" I focused myself on jumping at exactly the right time. "One!" I leapt upwards with all the strength I could muster, while Aurelia reached out her hands and willed some kind of force out. Then I was rocketing upwards, and though the bright light suddenly glittered and sent forth a dozen beams of brightness, I shot past all of them and entered the brightness itself.

Right as I did so, I once again threw my entire body behind a single strike. From below, Aurelia saw nothing. But for me, I saw a single silver-blue streak slashing through the overwhelming light. Then a bone-chilling scream echoed out through the entire room, a scream that last even as I fell back down, even as the walls of the room faded, and only ended when the warehouse we had entered that place in was around us once more.

But I still fell, and luckily it was right into Aurelia's arms. Brief smiles of triumph were exchanged, before we realized that we were very far from being alone. Every member of the two squads was in the building, along with Germana, and a handful of girls we didn't recognize.

Aurelia quickly let me down to my feet, and we ran our eyes back and forth across the silent room. We stood in the middle of the warehouse, though we had entered on the stairwell. Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by a quiet _plink._

Aurelia and I looked down, and only a few feet from us was a small black orb, a long needle somehow holding it up. A strange sensation ran through my body as I stared at the orb, before suddenly the large room echoed with the sound of tears.

One of the unrecognized girls came running forwards, tears pouring down her cheeks as she knelt down before the orb and scooped it into her hands. She clutched the tiny thing to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "Amelia!" she cried out to no one, "Amelia…"

The two of us looked on in confusion, as another girl came up behind the first. Laying a hand on her back, she whispered, "She's gone, come on." At first flinching away from the hand, the dark-haired girl who cried eventually stood. Before she walked away, the girl paused, and ran her eyes over the both of us. "W-was she…" her voice cracked, before the girl finally forced out, "Was she beautiful?"

We weren't sure how to respond, in shock ourselves. All I could do was meekly say, "Y-yes." I didn't even know what she meant, but I knew that answer was the one she sought.

"Thank you." She whispered, a sad smile on her face. I didn't know what else to say. Aurelia was entirely silent, astonished to the point where she still stared at the ground.

 _Amelia…?_ I wondered, sharing my thoughts with Aurelia _, that thing…that thing…no._ She denied it too. There was no way that was somehow a magical girl, there had to be some other explanation, something that we missed.

Yet for all the questions we had to ask, we were denied the time. "Alright everyone, it's over." Germana called with a solemn voice. "The Thunderhawk's outside, please hurry in. There's nothing more to be worried about." It was no surprise that everyone hesitated. How could they just leave? "Come on," Germana said, sounding more like she was pleading, "Let's just go, I'll explain everything, but not here."

Her earnestness got the others moving, but Aurelia and I stayed where we were for a few more seconds. The cries of that dark-haired girl still echoed around the empty warehouse. I knew, and Aurelia knew, that there was nothing we could do for her. But still, it was hard to just walk away.

We left without another word.

* * *

That same corner of the Thunderhawk seemed to have become our designated spot. It appeared that everyone had found a seat that they liked, and it was no surprise that each one found where they had sat on that first day. The time between then and now seemed to stretch out even further.

 _That thing…_ It was only natural for me to be curious. I thank Aurelia for her cutting me off, whether it was for my sake or hers.

 _Don't think about it right now…we'll get some kind of answer._ Germana looked dejected, saddened. Whatever she was going to tell us, I could see that she didn't want us to know the answer.

* * *

Though we were right beside the door, we were the last to leave the craft. Even Germana was already gone. I think she trusted that we'd find our way to the others. Aurelia and I glanced at each other, "Come on," she insisted. I nodded, but it was a few seconds before either of us stood.

She was walking ahead of me down the ramp, but paused when my hand grabbed onto hers. Turning back at me, she looked surprised. "Thank you," I spoke softly, "For what you did back there." It was hard to stop myself from crying right there.

I almost gasped as her hand squeezed down tightly on mine, and pulled me forwards. "You're welcome," she said, wearing a smile on her face.

* * *

We were ushered into what looked like a small lecture room, inside a building we'd not been in before. We all took seats, and Germana stood at the front, her head hung low. None of us were speaking, even though she didn't demand any sort of attention from us. We all waited.

None of us were ready. "Only Aurelia and Vergiana will really understand the importance of this but…" Germana shook her head. Sadly, the sergeant said "I've done this for forty years and it's never gotten easier." She took a deep breath, and then said, "What Aurelia and Vergiana saw was a witch. One of the possible outcomes for anyone in this room. Yes, it was once a magical girl."

It took a few seconds for that to register. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That _thing…_ had been once a magical girl? Which means that…that I killed a magical girl. Aurelia and I could only look in shock and horror as Germana continued to explain, "When the despair becomes too much for one to bear, her soul gem will become a grief seed, and she will become a witch." Another pause, "Trapped in their own despair, the girl only seeks to destroy others, and feed on their grief. Killing one puts the girl out of her misery."

I could barely find an emotion to reply with. My face just twisted in shock further and further, while my eyes darted down to my own soul gem. It was terrifying, and the others thought the same. Aurelia looked at Germana in disbelief, but I could see in her eyes the growing despair. All around us, the others reacted in similar displays of fear and horror.

She shook her head, almost breaking into a strange sort of laugh. "And of course that brings up so many more questions." Germana reached to her chest, hand withdrawing her soul gem from the center of her armor. "This is a soul gem, as you know. But…well, we're not human." She said simply. "These gems contain our souls. Our bodies are merely vessels for those. Once they're gone, life goes with it."

Never before had my world so utterly collapsed right before my eyes. Even when I was told of my potential, the world still worked according to rules I understood. But now, I was told that everything I thought I knew was a lie. Everything seemed hazy, unclear, I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not. Eyes locked forwards, my hand searched to the side, eventually finding Aurelia's.

I guess it was reflex that locked our hands so tightly together, as our shock joined those of the others. The entire thing was impossible to believe, but we had we not seen a witch right before our eyes? That girl, she cried for the death of her friend. We couldn't deny it, not that we ever really did.

"I was supposed to tell you all of this two weeks from now. That doesn't sound like much but…" Germana sighed, "That witch was stronger than anyone anticipated. There's going to be an investigation, and the girl who was Amelia's friend will almost certainly be censured for something. I wanted to tell only Vergiana and Aurelia, but charging them with such a secret wouldn't be correct." She looked at all of us, "I'm sorry." The sergeant took a breath, looking for the first time truly fazed, "If it's not too much trouble, try to get some sleep. But…I don't care about that tonight. Everything is canceled tomorrow, we can afford to push things back for this."

With that, her knees fell out below her and she sat down upon the small stool that sat on the small stage. "Goodnight," she whispered, almost as an afterthought.

None of us knew what we were supposed to do. Not that that was the first thought in our minds. All we did for some time, I didn't bother counting how long, was sit there in silence. Everything seemed hazy, as though it was a feverish nightmare. I heard someone crying. The reason it took me so long to find who was because I never expected the one next to me.

Aurelia was sobbing earnestly, while her hands held her face. I knew why. She already regretted what she did. What Germana said came back to me, and I knew that despair darkened a soul gem. Panicking I grabbed the girl, turning her towards me to look at her gem. There it was, a black-orange crystal, more dark than bright.

"Aurelia…" I whispered, terror filling my heart. She didn't realize it for a second, then she just sadly shook her head.

The reply was one of the most hopeless things I've ever heard. In it I could find nothing but sadness. "There's no point. I'll just end up as a witch anyways. No matter what I do." Just hearing her say that, after all that had happened today, snapped something in me.

The next sound to fill the room was a loud clap, as my hand struck her cheek. My other hand grabbed her collar, gripping tight as I stared into her eyes. "Don't say things like that!" I shouted, "We're in this together, aren't we?! Or were you lying when we made that deal?!" I shook her fiercely as I screamed, "Don't go running away from me now!"

It was selfish, oh so selfish. Most of me didn't really care about her living or dying, the reason I screamed at then was because I didn't want to be alone. Every eye in the room was on me. But for the moment, I didn't even notice. "D-d-do you really care about me?" Aurelia was stuttering as she tried to comprehend my anger. Her hand came up and wrapped around my arm as a new wave of tears started to surge out, "Do…you really?"

I stood there in silence, asking myself the question. Because I wasn't sure. Was I just selfish, or did Aurelia really mean something to me? Aurelia looked terrified as she waited for my reply. I guessed that this would decide everything. But the silence still dragged on, to the point where my faint whisper seemed to be loud.

"We didn't say all those things because we don't care. You already know I'm selfish but…just like I didn't want you dying back then, I don't want you dying now." I think it was an honest response. Aurelia would say the same thing, but I think she's a bit too biased.

However, in the moment, she thought the same thing. Because I could tell that she wasn't crying because she was sad, but because she was happy. "Thank you," Aurelia choked out, "Thank you so much." I looked around, and realized that everyone still stared.

Embarrassed, I almost dragged Aurelia out of the building myself, had she not seen the same watching eyes that I did. We both stumbled out into the cold night air, midnight having passed not too long ago. The horror of the revelation was still fresh in my mind, but I found that if I thought about Aurelia, it seemed to go away.

But before I could even think about anything, Aurelia slammed into me, arms wrapped around me. She gripped tight, almost crushing me in her arms. "Thank you," the girl sobbed as she hugged me. At the moment, she didn't even resemble Aurelia anymore. It was like an entirely different person was here. Quickly I glanced around, hoping no one else had come out.

I was happy that we were alone. What I saw now wasn't something I thought Aurelia would show to anyone else. But she showed it to me, even though it felt like a part of her was afraid to reveal it. I held her tightly as well, and we didn't break apart until her tears stopped. Even then, we still held each other's hands. "We can't turn back now, can we?" Aurelia asked, cheeks still wet.

I shook my head. "We already contracted." It was then that I realized we'd been lied to, or more accurately, not told everything. "And like it or not, we made a wish, and we can't just take that back."

"But…but we'll be together, right?" Aurelia asked.

It wasn't just for Aurelia's sake that I assured her, "We will be." Without her, I'd be the one wallowing in despair at the moment. Even if we had to face the potential for such a terrifying fate, we would still be together. And that was what mattered more than anything.


	19. Towards a Joyous End

**Well, finally got myself together to get this done. A larger snippet explaining my plans moving forwards is at the bottom.**

* * *

For a long time, maybe too long, Columbine had believed that not a single person could understand the pain of the loss that she suffered. Her home, her family, wiped out before her very eyes. How could anyone else's sorrow equal her own? Of course, there were plenty of others who suffered similar horrors. She had also never seen a mother lose her child.

It was with a few emotions that the woman she called 'mother' looked at her. Sorrow, regret, loss, all seemingly just as deep as those Columbine knew so well. "You really do believe this, don't you?"

"Why can't you understand what I'm saying?" Columbine wondered, astonished. "The people we put our lives on the line to protect are nothing more than slaves. Nothing more than mindless sheep following in a line. Why do we protect them, whilst simultaneously calling out the folly of their ways?! "

The older magical girl shook her head sadly. Her head turned to the side, and stared out the window at the planet below them. "Columbine…we protect them because no one else can or will. Because they're still people." The girl's head whipped back to Columbine, eyes glaring furiously at the younger. "Just because you have some sense of superiority doesn't mean that they're not worth fighting for."

"Even then, are we not just furthering the causes of that false god of theirs? Every servant of hers who lives is just another one of her slaves." Columbine spat.

"They're still people." Repeated the other, "I don't see why can't understand when…you once knew it so well." The younger was put off by the words for a moment, and her "mother" went on and asked, "What happened to that Columbine who swore to protect everything, so others wouldn't suffer?"

"This is just me maturing," Columbine replied, "They don't deserve protection."

"Then who does?!" shouted the older, "Who should we be protecting?!"

"Those who can protect themselves, those who have a will of their own." Columbine replied. "Those are-"

"Can they not defend themselves?" interceded the one Columbine called a mother.

"Not everyone is a weak sheep, mother. You're blind to the truth, the truth that we can't just go around saving everyone because we feel bad for them." Columbine said.

"Why not?"

"Because it's impossible." Columbine flatly stated.

The anger of the other reached new heights. "And so we shouldn't even try?" She spoke slowly, seemingly barely able to comprehend what the other said.

Columbine was at a loss for words. She hesitated, then responded quietly, "I'm just tired of protecting people. What do we get out of it? Nothing, that's what we get. We're heretics in the eyes of most, but no one sees as protectors. When we deserve so much more."

The older girl actually took a step back in shock, "Columbine…" She whispered, "What did I do wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong, mother." Columbine said sadly. A few seconds of silence passed before she started to speak again, her voice a whisper but slowly rising in passion and volume. "My family, my parents, my brother and my sister, everyone in my town, no one will ever know their names. I'm the only one who knows who they were." Her eyes now turned to the window, and focused not quite on the planet now the space around, but somehow both.

"Can you imagine that? Having only one person in a universe of billions if not trillions of people remember who you were? Why…the moment that person dies your existence is practically over." Columbine had tears in her eyes. She shook her head, "I don't want to suffer that fate." Her eyes shut, before she slowly turned her head back to her mother. They opened again, and she stated, "For that purpose, I will burn my name into the annals of history. I will scorch my presence into the universe. No matter how I must do it."

A shudder passed through the older knight's body. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and as she exhaled, asked, "You'd be content with going down as a horrible person? Even that would be a better end for you?"

Columbine nodded curtly. "If that is what I must do, then I shall do it. You told me mother, that one with a will should use it to achieve their dream. Isn't that what _she_ would want from us?"

Yet her mother just sighed, "I know, you're correct but…I just want it to be different."

"Our dreams are incompatible," Columbine said simply. But she did sound truly regretful as she said, "Here, our paths diverge. I thank you for all that you've done for me. Really, I can't repay you enough." She paused, only for more sorrow to seep into her words. "And I know that I never will, because even now I'm going against your wishes." Slowly, she turned around, and faced away down the hall. Before she could say 'goodbye', her mother spoke.

"Columbine…" She sounded sure enough to send shivers up and down the spine of her 'daughter'. "There will come a day when you will regret this."

"If that is the case, then I doubt I ever had much of a will." Columbine replied. She looked over her shoulder, meeting her mother's eyes for one last time. "Goodbye, mother. May we meet again, in this world, or the next." With that, she was striding away, not daring turn back lest the tears on her face be shown.

* * *

In all her years, even the ones further back in memory beyond that memory of parting, she'd rarely found a planet that looked distinctly different from another. Unless it was scarred by some disaster or either young or old, most tended to have the same blue-green look, with even the continents being harder to pick out from a distance.

This particular orb's appearance was no different from the average; just another standard habitable world. Of course, that was only based on looks. What set the planet apart from the millions of others in the Imperium was that it was not part of that empire. Thirty-two light years lay between it and the edge of that mighty polity, but it hadn't been bothered in any serious way for about fifty.

As the telepath hailed the planet, with the intention of speaking to its leader, Columbine was forced to remember why. "I'll be speaking to her," she stated as the telepath got in contact and started verifying herself. Astikai's vessel had yet to arrive into the system, and for that Columbine thanked the sometimes-gracious tides of the warp.

No one argued, which only confirmed two suspicions of Columbine. _They're not related to any of these petty warlords, and they're not people who know their way around the frontier._ She kept her eyes staring ahead at the steadily approaching planet, and kept her mind connected to that of the telepath's. A minute more and the link was open for Columbine.

A haughty voice came into Columbine's mind, as well those of the other's, for the link was open to all the magical girls. _This is Vlasta Kalalova, Queen of Aija. What business do you have here?_

Columbine sighed as memories from long ago, but not too long ago, flooded back into her mind. _Vlasta, this is Columbine. I need your help._ Compared to the ideal, her voice was a bit too blunt, but Columbine couldn't help it.

What she quickly regretted was the link being open to everyone, for they were all forced to hear the long and unfortunately not-fake laugh from the other end. Vlasta sounded as though she might die of her laughter, and indeed was gasping for breath by the end of the bought of mocking mirth. _I've seen and done many things, my dear Ms. Frieden, but I never thought I'd see this day. Well then, what can I so graciously do for you? It seems you're away from your nest, lost and alone perhaps?_

Columbine knew bantering with her was only wasting time. Not biting the bait being thrown en masse, she bluntly questioned, _Do you want to kill Astikai?_

A pause. Columbine bit her tongue as it went on, for she knew implicitly the gambit she was making. _Are you saying you think you can do it with my help?_ Vlasta asked carefully. _Are you sure you can do it?_

The blonde shrugged, _I don't know. What I do know is she's going to be here any minute. If we can work together, I think it just might be possible._ Columbine waited a couple seconds before adding, _there's also the fact that half of the Cyprus fleet is on our tail, but they're after Astikai, not you._

Vlasta groaned, _always a caveat, no? Well, if that's the case, I've no choice but to give you a hand, don't I? Bring your ship in, if you have some kind of plan, say it now and I'll give you everything I have._

A grin spread out on Columbine's face, _Thank you. Mobilize the entire fleet, move them around the other side of the planet. We will be the bait. Astikai will close in for us, and when she fires on us, you come around from behind and finish her._ There was of course, one more question, _and from there, we hope that we kill her in that first barrage._ Although Columbine kept secrets, she knew that it was for the best. A hypocrite she may be, but this conflict was personal.

As soon as the link went silent and Vlasta started off on the instructions she was given, Columbine turned to the others. "The Imperials are coming after Astikai but…even when they get her, they'll still come for the girl we took. I'm not willing to give her up so easily, but it'll be suicide to try and run forever." She hesitated before continuing, "We'll get down to the planet, I'll try and get anything I can out of her. But if we can't fight off the Knights that come, then we give her up and hope that's enough to convince them to avoid a pitched battle."

Hjalma sighed, "Is hiding this from Vlasta the best choice?" she wondered. Columbine mulled it over, then nodded.

"I don't want to add another complication. She doesn't need to be involved in this whole affair." The girl explained, "It'd be bad for everyone, and I personally would prefer she's not."

Tamashii grinned, "Sounded like you two know each other quite well." Columbine rolled her eyes, and turned away towards the door. Ushio stood back against the wall, in the midst of another headache, which had come all too frequently since her memories had started to return.

"We do," Columbine said, before repeating, "We do." As she turned back to the others, her eyes caught Ingwe's for a brief second. The girl was located closer to Hjalma and her companions than she was to Columbine. "Before I joined with Astikai, Vlasta and I knew each other well. She was on her way to getting a world of her own." A strange sort of nostalgic smile appeared on her face, "Looks like her dream came true."

Nobody spoke another word until Columbine did, as the girl stared longingly at the planet. "Well, we know our goal. Kill Astikai, and if we can, keep the girl." She scanned her eyes over the other magical girls, even the rest of the bridge crew. "I hate thinking of anything as final but…this is the end of something."

Not a single person denied that. None could.

* * *

Her foot tapped a steady beat against the floor. Unarmored, it wasn't as loud as it could have been, but the clacking of her boot on the metal was still quite a noise. Clasped in her hands was her head, as she bent her head in a mixture of emotions. So well-mixed were they that even she was unsure the exact combination.

It was from this whirlwind of anxiety that the knock on the door served to deliver her from. Understanding that there weren't many possibilities, Meryet went to the door with a few expectations in mind. Tentheta fell into one of those expectations, so she wasn't surprised to see her. "I heard you've fallen into something of a rut," She commented. Meryet didn't step away from the door. "May I come in?" The sergeant asked. A moment passed before Meryet stepped away and made her way back to the bed.

She sat down on the edge as Tentheta shut the door and leaned against it. She took a deep breathe before saying anything, clearly collecting her thoughts first. "You shouldn't feel ashamed for losing her." Meryet didn't even appear to be paying attention. "I've lost people before. I know you know that, but…the pain. You always feel like there's something you could have done." Tentheta shook her head, "Even if there was, you can't change the past." Her eyes shot to Meryet, who still sat without a care.

She stepped away from the door, and walked towards Meryet. Without warning, her hand snapped out and grabbed the girl by the collar, with her fist curling up against bone. Meryet gritted her teeth as Tentheta stared her down. "Don't act so selfish, Meryet. I can see it, you're not angry. You don't know what to feel do you? I told you, I know the pain, but that's not what you're feeling." She stared deep into the girl's eyes.

Tentheta continued, not losing the furious tone in her voice, "Meryet, you don't know what you want. Maybe you should just let her go, because then you won't have to worry anymore. Maybe you should chase after her, but at the expense of yourself and others?" Meryet struggled in her grip, shouting back at her.

"You don't understand! Let me go! I'll save her!" Tentheta dropped her back to the bed and took a step back.

"Listen, Meryet." She ordered, "I can't say I understand anymore, because I care about everyone under my command, and I'll save them-"

"And I'll save her too!" Meryet interrupted. "You're wrong. Alicia…I'll save Alicia. I won't deny that she might cause me trouble but what doesn't? Is it correct to just give up on her now after all this time?" She stood up, facing down Tentheta. "I regret losing her in the first place, I regret not realizing that there really was something there all along." Meryet was out of breath, but she kept forcing the words out, "There's so much I regret…but running won't make the regret go away."

Tentheta shrugged, "I was wrong then." She turned around. "Keep that conviction close to your side. It's not too often people with that kind of determination come around."

Before she could open the door, Meryet called, "Wait." The sergeant paused, with her eyes almost peeking over her shoulder. "That pain…does it ever go away?"

Tentheta shook her head sadly. "At least for me, I've never forgotten those I've lost. Meryet, you're lucky. Alicia might still be alive, you can make the pain stop." Her voice lightened as she said, "I'd be happy if it did. You're too good of a comrade to lose to such sorrow." With that, she opened the door and was gone in seconds.

It was with too much punctuality that Lucine interceded to prevent the door from closing all the way. Meryet narrowed her eyes, catching the last of Tentheta's body as she turned down the corridor. "You were waiting?" she asked.

Lucine shrugged as she wore that all too typical grin. "You got me." She confirmed, before explaining, "I didn't want her bothering us, so I let her go first." The girl shrugged as though it were nothing. "I did hear some of that, sound carries you know." The room's only furnishings were the bed and desk, being unused quarters on a ship usually carrying a group far smaller than the current load. Lucine smoothly pulled the chair out and sat down with as much grace as possible when sitting down.

"So you came to taunt me?" Meryet sighed as she sat back down. The lack of humor in those words was what made Lucine sit up straight, and almost raised her from the chair.

"Meryet…still sad, I see." Lucine spoke quietly, as though being too loud might disturb the other.

"What do you think?" The dark-haired girl spat back.

Lucine considered her words before she said anything, "Why are you angry at me? This…what did I do?"

Meryet appeared to be looking for an answer. The room was silent until she found it. "Lucine…" She could barely speak the girl's name before she broke down into tears. "Just care for once, like you used to."

Lucine instantly looked aside, even though Meryet didn't look at her. Red lighting up her face, she said, "Meryet, that was practically a lifetime ago."

Her only response were quiet sobs, and a faint voice that said something that sounded like, "We have…so many…lifetimes."

Lucine stood suddenly and strode to the bed. She paused there for a seconds, before almost falling down to her knees as she embraced Meryet. "Even if you care about no one else…" Meryet said quietly. "Could you at least care about me?"

Though Lucine already held Meryet tight, she did her best to hold her tighter, and said, "I can. I definitely can." Lucine took a deep breathe, before she softly spoke, "Meryet, I…I'm sorry." It was all she could say, and it didn't feel right to say anything more.

* * *

It was like watching death approach, slowly trotting on its pale horse. Backs against a wall, there was no way to run. But that was how they wanted it. Of course, it wasn't even a question whether or not Astikai would figure that out. She'd know what they were doing.

Both sides now gambled. It seemed now that the dice would be making the choices for them. Columbine shifted uncomfortably as she stood on the bridge, having not moved from the spot for the past hour as they slipped into orbit and watched Astikai enter the system. Throwing herself into the unsteady tides of fate was something she'd prefer to avoid. But there was no choice. Running forever wasn't something they could do.

"Twenty minutes until she reaches firing range," from a bridge crewmen. Columbine nodded.

"Give me some time with the girl." She said, and turned for the door. Ushio already knew to follow. The moment the doors shut behind, Ushio spoke.

"Columbine, I can feel like my memories, the next layer that is, are close to coming back." She shuddered, and said, "That girl, Alicia, thinking of her makes me feel something strange. Like a nostalgia but I can't match any memory to it. It feels like that is what's calling out the next layer."

"Good," Columbine replied, "We need your memories as soon as possible. We may not be able to get anything more out of her, but if nothing else, we know that she's connected, and that girl with Astikai is connected as well." Ushio nodded, and kept pace alongside Columbine. "Is your head alright?" Asked the blonde

"A bit better." Ushio stated. A few more steps were taken before she said, "I know it'll only get worse as we continue but that's the price I pay for messing with my own mind."

"You don't sound afraid," Columbine commented. Ushio just shrugged.

"Things aren't so scary anymore," She said, as though that answered everything. Columbine just smiled.

* * *

It felt strange, the armor she wore now. Entirely different from before, but it wasn't hard to find why. Almost twenty years had made her used to Alicia being right beside her when she was armored and prepared for battle. And now, she was gone. It only made the tension worse.

The Navigator had detected some fluctuations ahead, which suggested warp exits. They were preparing to walk right into a battle, though they could only hope that a coherent fleet would emerge. For that reason, they were all ready to jump right into a battle.

Her squad was gathered in a Thunderhawk, none others inside save for the pilots up front. There wasn't much of a plan in place, mainly because they had no idea what they might be facing. The current estimate was that they'd be dropping out in a renegade system controlled by traitor knights, but that told them very little. It was likely that the combined fleet as it was could overpower anything they might run into, but Astikai alone could potentially change everything.

Indeed, what little of a plan existed involved finding out where Astikai was and killing her as fast as possible. Should they fail to do that, then there was no chance of victory. An incursion of this scale would incite the various other traitor warlords along the border, so they had no time to pursue. Either they catch Astikai here, or they don't catch her at all. Though normally the Imperium did not go to such lengths to catch other warlords of the same sort, Meryet could see why Astikai was a special case.

And it was precisely because of that special case that none of them could rest easy. Decades of battle hadn't prepared them for the enemy they knew lay ahead. _Nevertheless,_ Meryet thought to herself, as she leaned against Lucine's shoulder, _I'll win. I'll get her back._

* * *

The little black-haired girl looked little different from the way they had left her. Even her face had the same sad look on it. It was that sort of loss that Columbine had seen too much in life, and had known too much in her life. But such concerns couldn't stop her now. Not after so much had already been done.

Both she and Ushio stood before the table, neither certain on the right way to start things. Columbine expected that she'd just open her mouth and start talking at some point, though time was of the essence. However, it wasn't her who started. "Alicia, we need to know what happened ten years ago. My memories and…something about you will answer that question. If you have any control over whatever Columbine found in your mind, please, just let us see it. We don't want to hurt you."

Slowly, Alicia looked up at the two of them. "Am I a monster?" She asked simply. As the two reacted in surprise, Alicia repeated, more desperately this time, "Am I? Am I a monster?!"

Columbine stepped forwards, and Alicia went silent, awaiting the answer like a starving man would await even the tiniest morsel. "That girl I spoke of before. The same…I don't know what to call it, stench, feeling, aura…whatever it is, it was all over your mind." She looked down at the table as she struggled to put her thoughts into words, "I don't think you as you are now is a monster but…there's something within you."

Alicia's eyes went wide. A shiver ran through her body. "What do you want with all this?" She demanded, "Why do you want to know?"

Ushio and Columbine glanced at each other. Both knew what they wanted. It was one and the same. "The truth," Columbine stated. "Behind all of this."

The dark-haired girl ruminated on that for a few seconds, then said, "We're on opposite sides. However, it looks like our goals line up, even if it's just this once." She released a sigh of resignation, then nodded. "I'll try to help you however I can." The little girl sounded a bit reluctant, but it was clear she understood what Columbine did.

Columbine quickly stepped around her, and unlocked the cuffs. "If you could stand up." She said, and beckoned Ushio with her hand. "Ushio was the one responsible for the Athena Disappearance, her experiment, whatever it was, caused that incident. She was there when it happened, and we know Astikai was as well. If you can somehow unlock her memories of the experiment itself, then we'll be only a few short steps away from the ultimate truth." Columbine explained. They all stood right beside one another, "Join hands," Columbine said as she took Alicia's and Ushio's, while waiting to activate her magic.

They stood for a few seconds as Columbine prepared herself. "Alicia, just think of that girl. Think of that day, ten years ago. Any detail you can remember at all, recall it. Ushio, you know what to do, bring the barriers down." She hesitated another moment, and took a deep breath. "A brief warning…this might get…vivid, with all three of us linked like this. If you find yourself in a memory, try to remember that it's just a memory, none of it is real." With that she shut her eyes and her hands glowed fiercely. Ushio and Alicia both jumped, before their eyes lost all color and lulled back into their heads.

Columbine ran immediately into the overwhelming force that came from Alicia. Before her conscious mind could even begin to understand it, her subconscious recoiled in an instinctive fear. But she clamped down upon that part of her, and forced it to face that terror. Her fingers gripped down tighter as memories from Alicia flooded into her mind, which were then thrown against the walls of Ushio's memory, along with Columbine's magic.

Ushio started to shake a little, and Columbine knew she was in pain. But she could also tell that with Alicia, they had a chance of getting to the next layer in the next few minutes. If they could, then the truth was only a few steps away, if not delivered right into their hands by whatever revelation this could uncover.

Columbine concentrated harder, wiping away all thoughts save for this. The coming battle could wait. Even the fact that she may lose her life in the next few hours didn't matter to her right now. Columbine had lost everything in search of this. All three of them had lost something thanks to Athena. Ten years was apparently very little time.

The cracks started to appear. Spreading like fractures in glass, but like a dam beginning to give way. As soon as it began, nothing could stop it. And from the other side leaked memories. Memories long-repressed came bursting out like water sealed under high-pressure. They could all feel that the final break was coming closer and closer by the millisecond. The pain only grew more and more intense for Ushio, but she withstood every single bit of it. What was inside her head was her. The _real_ her. Even if it was sealed away, she would seek it. No longer was she afraid.

Without warning, the dam broke. A massive explosion of senses rushed out, and Ushio collapsed as her mind was overloaded. Columbine's eyes shot open. Her limbs fell limp as her conscious mind was entirely overridden. Then there was nothing.

* * *

Columbine's eyes opened. But she could tell instantly that they were not her eyes. The first instinct of one awoken suddenly and surprisingly is to assess their surroundings. She could not. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move in the slightest. Though whatever she was looking out of did move.

For a moment, her mind was in turmoil as she struggled to try and comprehend her situation, then she remembered. As the hands that held up the body from the floor pushed it to sit up, Columbine recognized it as Ushio's. Glasses gone, her bare eyes stared ahead in horror at the sight before her.

A blindingly bright pillar of golden light shone in the center of a large cylindrical chamber, going both down into a pit and up into the open sky. In the center of this pillar hung a shape that vaguely resembled that of a young girl. Arms outstretched to either side, she seemed to be in pain. Indeed, just over the ferocious crackling of the column of energy was a tormented scream.

And stepping towards the edge of that pit was a girl. Columbine instantly recognized the armored figure who looked back with a smirk. "This is the result of your fear, Ushio. We were born to be as gods. Why not embrace that?" With those words, she stepped to the very rim, and reached out with her hand. Her voice was soft and sweet, genuinely so, in a tone Columbine had never heard nor remotely expected from the girl who spoke. "Come, my little golden bird. I shan't release you into oblivion. It's time to come home." Columbine could hear the warm smile on her face.

Then the figure in the light jerked. Another sudden movement. Then another. Then her arm was slowly moving, steadily. Ever so slowly she reached out towards the girl. Ushio could only watch in fear as their hands came closer and closer to touching. Then, their fingers wrapped around one another.

Sifras Astikai clasped the girl in the light's hand with both of her own, and said sweetly, "Come now, spread your wings, and bring light back to this cursed world." Then the pillar of light flashed even brighter for a brief second before it disappeared.

In its place, was something that could only be described as an angel. Massive golden wings of light filled the entire room, almost reaching up to the lip of the room's top. The mere presence of the energy was enough to make Ushio lightheaded. She felt consciousness slipping away rapidly as warp energy filled the room to the brim. Yet the wings came from the girl who held Astikai's hand. "It's so beautiful…" Astikai spoke in wondrous disbelief as tears of awe streamed down her face. "More beautiful than anything-ah-ah! I feel it, inside me! Burrowing within me! Ahahaha! So this is what _she_ feels!" The girl's hands began to glow brightly as her cries of joy grew louder and louder, also taking on hints of pain. "Oh! It's so rapturous! I can feel myself _changing!_ I can feel myself becoming something _more_!" Then abruptly, she fell silent, but continued to stand.

A few seconds of complete silence passed, before Sifras Astikai slowly turned to face Ushio. On her face was a most joyful expression. Her whisper was just loud enough for Ushio to hear, "Ah, so _this_ is godhood."

Ushio's eyes rolled back into her head, and everything was black.

* * *

Columbine jerked awake. She looked instantly around herself, relieved that her control was her own. To either side of her were Ushio and Alicia. Both lay on the ground, slowly rising to a state of consciousness. Ushio and Alicia sat frozen in terror. Columbine merely glanced at the both of them before lowering her head. "We all saw the same thing, right?" she asked.

"That girl…" Alicia said, her voice distant and just as lifeless as her eyes. Her head shook from side to side as she insisted, "That wasn't me…that wasn't me…"

Columbine first looked to Ushio while Alicia repeated the words again and again. "Who was that?" she asked, "One was…Astikai but the other-she was the girl in my dream." Columbine leaned towards Ushio and reached out towards her, "Who was she?!"

Ushio's eyes lingered on the curled-up form of Alicia for a few seconds, before she turned to Columbine. "Alicia but…just with golden hair." Regret dripped from every word she spoke, "I knew her." Ushio looked at Alicia again, a sort of sad look on her face, "She was just like her. So kind yet so strong." The girl's hand came to her eyes, and felt the tears that barely started to drip down. "Oh, what did I do?"

Columbine looked back and forth between the two while she slowly settled down to the floor. Her eyes went down to the floor, before she shut them fully. "I…" Her voice trailed away, but the single word alone was enough to attract their attentions. Decades of memories flooded through her mind. "I said I'd protect people."

The girl, looking so small, opened her eyes. "I'll protect both of you." She promised, "From anything." She started to stand up while taking a deep breathe.

Both Alicia and Ushio stared at her in surprise for a long minute. To them, the Columbine that they saw seemed different in a way. Not overtly, but somehow, in some fashion, she was not the same. Alicia shifted uncomfortably as she sat on the ground. "Columbine…" She started carefully, "Can you protect me from someone who…might as well love me?"

Columbine narrowed her eyes at her, then her face lit up with understanding. "That girl who was with you." She nodded. "She cares deeply about you?"

Alicia started to rise to her feet. "Yes, she does. Deeply. As much as a mother would care for her daughter." She smiled sadly, "She means so much to me, and I mean so much to her but…even if I explain things to her, she'll never let me go." Alicia sighed, "She'll never let this be simply my problem, she'll make it hers, all for me."

The short girl looked sadly away from Columbine as she ruminated on the matter, before the blonde proposed, "Why not just go back? We have enough, Ushio's seals should break entirely very soon. We can solve everything ourselves." Even as she said the words she knew there was no chance of the other accepting that solution.

Indeed, the dark-haired girl shook her head in denial. "I'm so close to the truth, I can't turn back now. I can't go back, even if I'm not a monster myself, I have to know what I really am, what that girl really is, who she really was." Alicia shuddered as her eyes glimmered with tears, "I'll turn my back on the Imperium if it means the truth. But I know that Meryet won't."

The question that followed was one that Alicia fully expected. "Then what do we do?" Columbine asked. "If you desire the truth so dearly, then I won't stop you, in fact I'll welcome you. But I cannot have us being constantly hound-"

"I won't let you kill her!" Alicia quickly spat. Columbine furrowed her brow. She opened her mouth, but shut it just as quickly. The two exchanged glares for a few seconds, before Columbine carefully spoke.

"I don't intend to kill her." She lost instantly that thoughtful tone, as she realized what she would say struck close to her own heart. "Rather, I think she'll listen." Columbine repeated it, "I think she'll listen if you explain to her."

Alicia frowned, "Why do you think that?" she wondered.

"Because…if she truly cares for you, she'll understand." Columbine explained simply.

"How can you be so sure?" Alicia demanded, "Why do you think you know her?!"

The blonde just put on a sad grin, almost chuckling. "I myself have experience with loss." A pause, then, "Though I wasn't the one losing anything. Rather, I was the one making another lose her child." Columbine looked Alicia in the child, "All parents will one day lose their children. I think it's that simple."

"That's who she was…" Whispered a voice from behind Columbine. "A child, to me at least." Ushio sat on the floor. Recollection; that was the emotion that her face so vividly displayed. Yet it was recollection that was both desired and undesired. Unhappy memories, yet memories that made her whole. "And I lost her…"

Columbine had turned around by the time Ushio had started to get to her feet. "I hate it," said the brunette quietly, "All of this." She steadied her glasses as she stared Columbine in the eyes. "I don't want these memories back but I don't want to lose them again."

Her hand reached out towards Columbine's, and slowly she took the girl's hand in her own. "Please, don't leave me," she whispered, "Not now."

She didn't flinch as Columbine's other hand came up to lay on her shoulder. "I haven't left you before." Columbine said quietly, "I won't leave you ever."

For a few seconds Ushio considered the promise, then whispered, "You've never lied to me before, have you?" Columbine stayed silent; it wasn't her place to answer. The girl with the glasses found the answer herself. She tugged gently at Columbine's hand. "Come on then," She insisted, "Let's finish this, at least this chapter."

They stood there for a few more seconds, and merely stared into each other's eyes. Then Columbine almost jumped, "Astikai," she said, and glanced behind herself. "Just stick with me," She told Alicia, "Things might get rough from here on."

* * *

It appeared that their return interrupted an ongoing conversation on the bridge. Ingwe was the first to turn away from Hjalma and the others to look at the door, and her eyes immediately caught Alicia's presence. She stormed forwards as the others reacted in surprise. Weapons were drawn before Hjalma hesitantly raised an arm to stop them.

Columbine held her ground as Ingwe stormed towards her and demanded, "Why is she here?!"

The blonde was confused for a moment, but set that aside and explained, "Ingwe, she's agreed to help us. She's just as invested in this as any of us." Columbine looked back at her, "She won't betray us." Ingwe still glared at the smaller girl, and lead Columbine to question, "Don't you trust me?"

The other waited a couple seconds before nodding. "I do." She grinned, and made a little movement with her head a little as though to indicate something more. Columbine was careful to only walk forwards after that, rather than glance too knowingly at Hjalma.

"How close?" She asked.

"Extreme range in less than five minutes." Hjalma replied curtly, and turned back to the screen. "Vlasta's in position."

Columbine stepped up beside her, Alicia glued to her back, while Ushio stood on the other side of the younger girl. "We need to be ready for anything," she said quietly. "Get everyone to the Thunderhawks, I'll remain here just for a bit more." The girl took a breath and said, "Astikai's going to do something here, I can feel it."

Hjalma hesitated, throwing a glance in some direction that, Columbine, in her focus, didn't catch, and then said, "Fine." Some telepathic signal passed among the rest, and they were on their way, only Ingwe remaining with the others.

"You're sure about your plan?" Ingwe asked.

Humorously rolling her eyes, Columbine pointed out, "You just said you trust me." Ingwe didn't argue. Columbine cracked a smile and briefly glanced to her side, eyes asking Ushio a silent question.

She shook her head, "My mind's rather taxed at the moment. I don't think my divination will be of much use." The girl explained sadly. It seemed that the doors behind them had just rolled shut when they opened again, and a fresh crescendo of metal on metal reached their ears.

Columbine glanced over her shoulder and saw Cherepia leading the rest of the defectors. "Didn't you run into Hjalma?" immediately asked the blonde.

Cherepia shrugged, "We did, but I'm not going to go anywhere with them. They have a strange air about them, the kind of thing that makes me not want to trust them."

The girl received an annoyed stare for a few moments before Columbine commented, "You have the same thing you know."

The dark-haired girl cocked her head to the side and grinned. "Indeed, but that makes it all the more satisfying to trust me, no?" She shook her head, and said more seriously, "We'll leave when you do."

Columbine's eyes lingered a few seconds longer on the girl, before she turned back the screen. _Could she be hiding something?_ She wondered to herself, then focused all her attention on Astikai's approach.

 _I doubt it, she seems to honestly believe in you._ Columbine almost jumped at the voice in her head that wasn't her own. Her eyes slid to the side right as she realized that she'd unintentionally spoken to Ushio as well.

 _Sorry,_ she sent back, but there was no time for them to speak. A loud announcement on the bridge called out Astikai's entrance into extreme range. "Fire in three." Columbine called firmly.

The bridge fell silent, and all focused on the countdown. Just three seconds separated them and a battle that could very easily mean their deaths.

"Two," Columbine counted as a shudder ran through her body. The gap in between the 'two' and the 'one' was merely one second. Given the accuracy of her mind, it could not have been any longer. Somehow it felt that way, but as with anything, it had to come eventually. Not even the greatest lengths of time could cease time itself from flowing ever forwards.

"One." The ship shook immensely, with portside thrusters instantly kicking in to offset the massive force of the broadside volley. Lines of cannon shells and lances were sent hurtling through the black void towards their foe. The batteries fired sequentially, lined up with the ship's orbit around the planet so that every shot was headed right towards Astikai's vessel.

However, it would take minutes for the projectiles to arrive. The ship was tens of thousands of kilometers away, and this first barrage was little more than an opening test. _Scans indicate shields are up, charged to the max. We can expect no return fire from lances._

 _And torpedoes won't be viable for another few ten thousand kilometers,_ Columbine finished the thought, her mind connected, along with the astroclairvoyant's, to the wider network. She specifically sent to Vlasta now, _when she reaches twenty thousand, that's your cue._

 _Understood,_ Vlasta replied. _You know she realizes you're bait, right?_

Columbine nodded, _I do._ She replied, _but it's the best we can do. She'll do something crazy…_ The girl considered something for a few seconds, then added, _there's also the fact that half the Cyprus fleet is on her tail._

 _Columbine!_ Screamed the other, in a voice that spoke less of anger about the fact of the matter itself, and more at the fact that she hadn't been informed of this. _You're serious…what the hell did you two get up to?!_

 _A long story._ Columbine said, as the ship shook with the recoil of another broadside. _We have about forty-five minutes._

Vlasta sighed half-heartedly. _Fine then, I'll play along._ A moment of thought, then, _they can't do much anyways. If they intrude I'll call in the other independent lords and then they'll have a war on their hands. Half the Cyprus fleet won't be too bad…what happened to the other half, Astikai?_

 _Precisely that._ Replied the blonde as she looked over the squad that was hers. It was strange, because only Alicia stood out as something that ought not to be there. _They're after her, and the girl we stole from them._

Columbine could hear the suppressed anger in Vlasta's telepathic voice as she said, _it seems there's quite a few things you're not telling me._ She said.

 _True._ Columbine stated flatly. She watched as Astikai approached unhindered. Her tongue ran along the edge of her lips as she ruminated on what the girl might be planning. _Shields up, going straight ahead, has to know what she's walking into…_ Her eyes opened wide. _Oh no,_ then she was broadcasting to everyone, _she's going to ram us._

Columbine looked around herself frantically, as though some solution would come to her from merely that. _How long?_

 _Thirty minutes at her current speed._ Replied the astroclairvoyant. _If she increases to safest maximum, we have twenty. If she goes any higher, she could take that down to ten, but she'd slam right into the planet._

 _I wouldn't put that past her._ Columbine said hurriedly, then to Vlasta, _How long until everyone can be out and ready to fire?_

 _About five minutes if you want everything reasonably impacting._

 _Then when she accelerates, start moving._ Columbine took a deep breath, and explained. _If she means to destroy us and her ship, then so be it, ignore her and prepare for the imperials. If she slows down, then fire._

 _Accelerating now,_ the astroclairvoyant reporter.

Columbine almost laughed, remarking, _she knows we know._ She switched to her normal voice, shouting out to the bridge, "Stop firing. Shields to full power. Everyone, abandon ship. Make your way down to the planet. Hurry!" The crew looked at her with hesitation, "Do it now! Tell the entire crew! Get off this vessel, we have ten minutes!"

The alarm klaxons started blaring. In seconds the crew were rushing from the room, and barely a minute had passed before they were gone entirely. Only the knights remained. "You're no captain, you know." Cherepia chuckled from behind, "Please don't go down with a ship that isn't yours."

Columbine scoffed. "As if." She looked up at the astroclairvoyant's sphere above the bridge, whilst telling Hjalma, _get the navigator out of her sanctum, we're evacuating._ Then to the navigator, _emergency override the locks on the doors, get out of there so they can teleport you._ Finally, she said to the clairvoyant, _I'd rather not leave you behind._

The response seemed strangely delayed, but came nonetheless, in the form of the capsule opening up. Cherepia was the one to brush past Columbine and leap up to retrieve her, though normally it wasn't through such a direct method.

"We leaving soon?" Cherepia then questioned as she stood atop one of the consoles. Draped across her arms was the diminutive form of the astroclairvoyant, nothing strange for one of their ilk.

Columbine nodded, and said. "We will, we can teleport out." She kept staring forwards at the fast-approaching warship. "I want to stare Astikai down…I know she'll be doing the same thing in there."

The room was silent for a minute as Columbine focused her eyes, and Cherepia slowly carried the girl back to the others. Then Columbine breathed in deep, and exhaled for a long few seconds. Her eyes opened, and she whispered, "Get us out of here." _Vlasta, go for it._

But her order was interrupted by the frantic cry of the other, _she's slowing down! Calculations say she might just make it!_ Columbine's eyes shot open wide, and she repeated louder.

"The hangar now!" She cried. _Vlasta, don't pull back! I can tell how she's reading me, she knows I'll do anything to avoid a straight up fight. We need to give her just that. We take out her ship, we'll do something to her._

 _You better be right, you bastard._ Vlasta snapped back, but the ships started moving nevertheless. In a flash, Alice brought them to the hangar. They rushed into the already-prepared Thunderhawk, Hjalma's squad located in the other. The engines were already warmed up, and the hangars doors rolled down as fast as they engines flared up, and then with a jerk they were launching out.

The clairvoyant displayed a view of the ship as they accelerated away and towards the planet below. Astikai's ship was coming in hard towards the _Woglinde,_ while it braked as hard as it possibly could. Columbine felt her muscles tightening as the impact approached. Then she could see from underneath the _Woglinde_ squadrons of gunships and fighters bearing down on them.

Only seconds later did the massive ship collide with the other. Both had their void shields at maximum. Such fields hindered the movement of fast-moving objects. Another void field could count provided the speed was great enough. And in this case, it did. The initial flash lit up the solar system with its intensity, and then dropped in luminescence, but only barely. Amazingly, the _Woglinde_ held long enough for the other warship to lose all its momentum, and actually reverse a kilometer or so. Both ship's shields flickered wildly, but the impact had not been catastrophic.

A split second later came Vlasta's announcement, _firing now._ In the exact same instant, Columbine spotted that terrifying golden light. And the world slowed to a crawl. The first lance beams shot through the dark, ready to rip through the weakened fields and gut the vessel. But ahead of them came the twisting beams of burning gold light, issued forth from the barely visible figure standing atop the warship.

In the same instant that the beams of light were fired, they were stopped in their tracks by blasts of even greater power. Not a single shot connected, and yet more of the golden beams shot towards the ships that came from either side of the planet. Columbine could only sit and watch in horror as the beams spread themselves out amongst the myriad targets, shattering shields with a simple touch. Several vessels lit with detonations as the beams wormed their way inside, but not a single one was entirely destroyed.

However, Astikai had not destroyed most of the cannon shells and torpedoes hurtling towards her vessel. As she leapt from atop her ship and propelled herself down onto a Thunderhawk that flew right underneath the bottom, the warship's shields flashed, then popped as the first shells impacted.

Then it fired all of its torpedoes. At point blank range, directly into the _Woglinde._ It was a magnificent display of colors, both ships lighting up as stars would as detonations broke their backs, crawled up their spines, and finally collapsed the warp reactors.

In an instant they were ripped apart in blindingly intense explosions. And still Astikai's ships came, yet they were not alone, at least in a sense. Hurtling after them, and now overtaking them, was the great hail of debris cast out from the mighty blasts.

Columbine didn't need to tell the pilot to hurry. _Shields up._ She called, they were only seconds from hitting the atmosphere, the sudden increase in speed wasn't going to make anything easier. The shield generator extended her field, and a second later they hit. From inside the ship, one couldn't feel the hit that the shield took, but there was still the sensation of acceleration.

And outside, the debris still fell down towards the planet. Astikai's ships had been just outside of the blast, and the shockwave had sent them rocketing forwards. Through the shipyards and space stations that surrounded the planets came the tiny ships amongst the massive rain of wreckage.

 _Vlasta! Arrange your fleet in front of the planet, form a defensive line. Imperials will be here soon. Get everyone on the planet ready to deploy, we don't know where we might be landing. Astikai's after us, so she'll be sure to go wherever we are._ Columbine practically ordered as the Thunderhawk continued to dive straight into the atmosphere. The shield generator, Melina, flinched as the stresses started to take their toll.

Columbine called to the pilot, "Can we make it without the shield?!"

"A few seconds more and we'll be past the upper layers!" he called back. Melina knew what to do, and started counting as around them fell the debris thrown from the explosions. Impacts into the stations in orbit had ripped them apart, even knocking one from its path and casting down it down into the gravity well.

The shield dropped and the Thunderhawk starting violently shaking as it descended into the upper reaches of the stratosphere, amidst a massive storm of broken and twisted bits of metal. Larger shadows loomed above them, and the falling station just barely kept pace with Astikai's force.

Far below them, the ground was a large forest, leading up to a long mountain range that made its way up and down the continent. The nearest cities were luckily hundreds of miles away. Ushio then spoke up to the pilot, "Get us into the mountains, everything will be coming down in front of them, we need to land on the other side."

"Understood!" the pilot called back, and the ship started violently turning. Their trajectory wasn't ideal for such maneuvers, but they were what the ship was designed to be capable of doing. Hjalma's Thunderhawk began turning in a similar way as flaming metal started to litter the forest below.

 _Mobilizing everyone to your location!_ Vlasta called. _It'll be about five to ten minutes before they're all there._

 _Good. We can't defeat Astikai ourselves, however. We need to wait for the Imperials to arrive, she's their mark. If we can just buy time, we'll have a chance._ Columbine briefly glanced around the shuddering compartment, and saw the resolute expressions on the faces of her comrades. Cherepia still held the astroclairvoyant in her arms, who didn't look one bit pleased to be in a planet's atmosphere.

Alicia was silent, as she'd been ever since they left the brig. She sat right beside Columbine, with Ushio to the other side of her. The young girl appeared to be lost in thought, and though Columbine figured it'd be common courtesy to let her remain, the fact that they were about to go smashing into the ground in a minute changed things.

 _What can you do?_ She asked her. _Your magic, that is._

Alicia flinched, and glanced to the side. A split second and she replied, _illusionist._

Columbine thought for a moment, but ultimately did nothing more than say, _just trust me, I'll win this._ She cracked a grin, _I'm the one who hatched that whole plot to steal you in the first place._

Then they were all pulled hard to the side as the Thunderhawk started to level out. From the clairvoyant's view, they were going to scrape just across the tallest peaks of the range, whilst the massive shadow of the falling station loomed in the sky above them. Astikai's squadron was clearly following their trajectory, only the magically-shielded Thunderhawks having survived the harsh descent.

The Thunderhawk jinked wildly to the right as a piece of debris smashed down beside them, impacting on the snow-covered slopes of the high mountains. Several more chunks landed all around, ranging from massive yet relatively thin spars to huge chunks that were blocks of the ship's interior.

Roaring over the peaks with enough force to blast the snow into the air, the Thunderhawks started to slow down. "Just a warning!" called the pilot, the same one who'd gotten them down on Cyprus, "This landing won't be smooth!"

They were a few dozen miles from the mountains now, moving into the forests that sloped downwards towards fertile river valleys. Astikai's craft came swooping in over the peaks, and behind them what was left of the station slammed into the surface of the planet.

It impacted on one of the smaller peaks on the opposite side of the range from Columbine. The moment the massive weight of the fallen structure made contact with the ages-old rock, the mountain was obliterated. Even as the station was ripped apart and ground down, it pushed into the mountain range with spectacular force. A massive divot was carved for miles and miles in the pristine white.

And even almost a hundred miles away, the shockwave was felt. The Thunderhawks were jolted, almost into the path of fallen wreckage. It was at least enough to send them careening out of control towards the ground. The gunships braked as hard as was possible, but there was only so much that could be done. Astikai's Thunderhawks too were swatted about as though the hand of an invisible god acted upon the world.

Columbine's craft turned into the fall, presenting a large surface for air friction. "It's been real fun!" the pilot called, mere seconds before impact. Then Ingwe was a blur of motion as Columbine called for Alice to get them out. Ingwe blasted her way through the cockpit door, and that was the last Columbine saw of her before they blinked out.

They appeared with the Thunderhawk smashing into the tops of trees above them. It left a diagonal path of destruction that culminated in several trees toppling over as it started to smash their bases apart. It wasn't hard to avoid, but Columbine was more focused on Ingwe's whereabouts. Yet she landed a second later, the pilot in her arms. The man looked to be in a state of shock as he was deposited on the ground somewhat roughly.

Columbine glanced at him, "We can't guarantee your safety from here on out." She said, as Cherepia gently let the astroclairvoyant down to the ground.

The man took one look at the destroyed Thunderhawk and shrugged, "Better having a chance than none at all." Columbine nodded, before her armor flashed entirely on. She gazed up at the sky, from which debris still rained closer to the mountains. They appeared to be safer where they were, but there was still the chance.

 _Shield up._ Columbine ordered as she searched for Hjalma. Clairvoyant's report showed them to be a few hundred meters west. _Dvasia, Tamashii, I hate to ask this, but you can you two handle Astikai?_

 _For a little while at least,_ Tamashii confirmed.

 _Then when she comes, distract her. Once Vlasta's girls show up, we'll have them outnumbered, and we can take the rest down easily enough._ Suddenly the shield, already raised, was impacted by a volley of heavy fire that came down from above, as the Thunderhawk roared overhead. _Teleport us out!_ Columbine ordered. She glanced to the man and the girl, the pilot already to his feet and carrying the astroclairvoyant and ready to run once they were gone, and said, "Good luck." Then they disappeared in a flash of light.

They relocated once, then twice. The telepath already had mental shielding up, and they went invisible immediately. Provided that wasn't broken, they had a reasonable level of safety for the time being. _Hjalma,_ Columbine called on the secure channel, _two minutes until reinforcements arrive. Make your way towards the mountains._ She then sent to Vlasta, _have everyone sweep in from the west._ Finally, _Dvasia, Tamashii, wait until Astikai directly engages to go after her. No need to try until we need to._

Alice moved them up into the taller slopes. Hjalma's squad was a few hundred feet to their right. Just a hundred feet away the trees gave way to sheer slopes of snow. The only reason they didn't go any higher was because invisibility fields couldn't erase footprints, at least not when one moved on from them. Debris still rained from the sky to litter the forest with impact craters, but the world was strangely silent.

Astikai's Thunderhawks were in the air, but that didn't mean her forces weren't on the ground. They wouldn't be able to spot them if they were. Columbine and the others waited silently. Such was the reality of combat between knights. Before the battle could even begin, the fighters had to find each other.

To Vlasta's troops, arriving via teleportation, she ordered, _our positions are marked. Glass everything further down the slopes. We'll start firing as well. On my mark._ Everyone prepared themselves. Columbine unslung her bolter, while the others all prepared. Ushio was strangely comfortable holding the weapon in her hands, though she'd never been one for combat. Alicia's helmet was tilted down as she stared at the gun in her hands.

She noticed Columbine's gaze and quietly said, _it's strange without her here._ The link was private to Columbine, but the blonde's mind was directly linked with Ushio's.

 _Well, I don't think I've held a gun like this in a long time. If nothing else, we can be awkward together._ Ushio replied, then Columbine started to count down.

 _Three._ She brought the weapon to her shoulder, finger ready to tighten on the trigger. _Two._ Another rain of debris crashed down only a couple hundred feet behind them. _One._ The world fell into what seemed like a long stasis.

 _Mark._ Columbine tightened her finger. Then the forest was lit with a brilliant display. Beams of light, balls of fire, rockets, bolt shells, arrows, all fired in unison into the large expanse of trees. Streams of bolter fire were like chainsaws, hacking apart the trunks of trees with impunity, and the shots of summoned weapons left great pockmarks in the dirt. In total, one hundred and seven knights were firing with full force.

And all the while, the clairvoyants watched. Any trace of something hitting a shield, any trace of something having once been somewhere. Anything could tip them off to their enemy's location. And then something did. A single shell that grazed off nothing.

The response of all one hundred and seven girls was instantaneous. All weapons shifted to target that shield's assumed location. But they were running. Calculations were made for teleportation distance, the likely teleportation targets. Like machines, the data was input, processed, and then acted upon. And though that shield was invisible and contained a teleporter, they caught it again, and again, and again.

First the network erupted with shouts of confusion and accusations of friendly fire. Then visibly gunshots erupted amongst the lines of Vlasta's knights. It didn't come from within their field of fire. Rather, a quick check by the clairvoyant confirmed that it was from amongst them. The revelation was followed immediately by open telepathic broadcasts, clearly directed at Astikai, declaring changes of allegiance.

 _Damn it!_ Columbine shouted, _Hjalma! Pull back with us, cut yourself from the network!_ Instantly, shots were incoming as the traitors sent their locations to Astikai's knights. The telepath disconnected immediately and reshrouded their location, whilst Alice brought them several hundred feet away. _We can't be sure who's on whose side right now, just sit here and wait._

Fire continued to hammer the mountain slopes, but they remained in place. It would take a little bit for the lines of fire to track their way to their position, and that would hopefully be enough to sort this out. _Vlasta!_ She shouted, _care to explain this?!_

 _Some of my knights are not content with fighting Astikai, I apologize! You stormed into my system a few hours ago, what was I supposed to do, vet everyone whilst trying to get them moving?!_ The girl angrily replied.

Columbine didn't press the issue any further, instead questioning, _are you ready? Imperials could be arriving any minute now. It'll take time before they can make planetfall, but just be ready._

 _I am._ Vlasta assured her. The link went silent for a few seconds till she said, _stay safe down there, alright?_

 _Understood._ Columbine replied. There were more important things for her various separated minds to be thinking about at the moment. Broadcasts were being thrown around wildly, but an effort was being made to sort out the ones from those remaining loyal. A direct channel to Vlasta was kept open, her knowledge of them was invaluable.

To the ones she could vouch for, a short snippet was sent, ordering them to come to a predetermined location a ways away from either Columbine or Hjalma's squad. _We can't just sit here forever,_ Hjalma pointed out, as Astikai's forces kept punishing the mountainsides.

 _I don't intend to._ Columbine said, as she started to get in contact with the loyalists, through proxy channels that directed their position to be elsewhere. _We've pinpointed their location, right?_ It was confirmed. Columbine took aim with her weapon. _Fire for two seconds, then teleport away. Get us over the peaks to the other side._

The two positions ignited with muzzle flares, sending a brief volley of bright projectiles into the forest. Just as the return fire hit the shields they were gone, safely located on the other side. But that did give their opponents a start on tracking them.

 _Noticed anything strange?_ Ingwe asked. Columbine raised her eyebrows, the motion being enough to indicate some reaction via telepathy. _Astikai hasn't done a single thing._

That made them all pause. At least the mind that was listening. Columbine's others coordinating the organization of the loyalists, and ensuring that they were all actually on the same side as they fought a running battle against the traitors and Astikai.

 _Teleport to these coordinates._ Columbine ordered them, marking a spot a hundred feet to the south. _Do it now. If they chase, then we're here to back you up._ The group appeared at the spot a second later, followed instantly by the invisibility coming up.

Columbine replied to Ingwe as that occurred, saying, _I know. She's waiting for something, or maybe…_ The blonde glanced up at the peaks, with a sense of hopelessness growing in her chest. Columbine narrowed her eyes, then her whole body relaxed. Warmth seemed to spread all through her. _I get it, she wants this to be fair._ She counted up the loyalists and the traitors. Thirty-three traitors, leaving Columbine with seventy-four, and that was counting hers and Hjalma's. That left Astikai with somewhere around seventy. _She wants to test my mind against hers. One last battle between the two of us._

A part of her knew that she should be feeling it, but not an ounce of fear was in her heart. Columbine just grinned. _If that's what she wants, I'll oblige._ The grin only grew wider and wider by the second, _she's not fighting for a damn thing._

* * *

Throughout her long life, Columbine had seen many sights on the battlefield, and heard many opinions of such sights. Some had said that a planet being glassed from orbit was terrifyingly beautiful. Others insisted that Titans clashing with one another was the most simultaneously awe-inspiring and fear-inducing sight in the universe. Plenty more, perhaps possessed with a more romantic spirit, spoke of the pure beauty of an open charge, especially one upon horseback.

Columbine understood the beauty in such sights, but to her the most thrilling combat in the world was one between mage knights. Many philosophies of combat involve treating the blade as an extension of the body. And for Mage Knights, the individual girls were extensions of the commander's body and mind. Truly so, for they moved as limbs would, they were flexible and quick, not like a thousand soldiers reduced to a single block on a map. Each knight was the equal of a thousand soldiers, and it was with these mighty limbs that two commanders did battle.

And of all the battles that she had fought in her life, none had matched this. Not a single one had even come close to equating the pure thrill that coursed through her. It was no wild abandon, like that displayed by the servants of Khorne. No, it was something deeper. In a way, it was like a pain on her mind. A deep-reaching ache that gnawed at every neuron in her brain. It seemed like that for the first time in her life, Columbine's entire mind was working at the same time. Every single bit of it was pushed to its limits. For this was a battle she had awaited for ten years, and of the sort she had always dreamed of even before.

The two forces squared off throughout the mountains. Miles and miles of terrain were used in the battle, even though the total number of knights covered only a miniscule amount of massive area. They were divided into seven squads of ten. She stood with Ingwe, Ushio, and Alicia, atop a peak roughly a mile from the battle, while the others moved by her orders.

It was a gorgeous day throughout the range, the sun shining brightly down on what had become an arena for a battle fought between veritable demigods. The massive impact crater and destruction wrought by the fallen station was a scar in the pristine land, while craters scattered throughout the land showed the foul legacy of the incident in orbit.

The crater had become something of a nexus for the engagement, with the squads circling around it, taking cover in the crumbling wreckage, and attempting to catch their foes within. From the tallest peaks to the lower forests where streams gently meandered down from the glaciers, the battle was fought.

One could compare a duel to a dance, and in a way this was a duel. Yet it was far more graceful, far more involved than any clash of blades between two. There were no battle lines to consider. There were no breakthroughs, no pockets, no elastic defenses. With the ability to leap hundreds of feet and teleport hundreds of miles, engagements of knights became contests of pure maneuver. All one had to do was ensure that their soldiers hit the enemy more times than they were hit. With shields, teleportation, invisibility, and the myriad other potential abilities of a magical girl, that task is monstrously impossible.

Yet it was something that one came to master with time, and in this moment for Columbine, it was all too easy. Even as flashes of light, explosions, and the blinking of shields and teleports filled the wilderness, she saw everything before it happened. Every step was made, by both sides, as though it was in line with a single tune, penned by Columbine's hands.

She sometimes felt that a human mind couldn't comprehend the entire reality of such a battle, no matter how hard they might try. Columbine's mind was split into dozens of separate fragments, each tasked with their own functions. She was linked to Ushio, whose thoughts only furthered her ability. Information was processed at a rate that could only be equaled by the most powerful cogitators, and such grand constructions were few and far between. And even then, they could do little to act on such information, whilst Columbine made several decisions a second. Astikai was doing the same.

In the end, it never came down to processing power. It always came down to what was done with it. What decisions one decided to make, how well one could come to know both their opponent, themselves, and the forces under both of their commands. For Columbine, that was her joy in life. And such a no-holds barred duel as this one was nothing but exhilarating.

A brief melee erupted along a steep western slope. Columbine knew that Astikai would expect her to pull back, simply because it was the best option considering the abilities of the girls currently engaged. Instead she split them into two groups, one moving up and one moving down, whilst Astikai pulled back. However, her formation took a looping path, clearly intended to pressure the lower group, while she attempted to split away forces from another engagement to support the encirclement.

Said battle was a slugging match between two groups of long-ranged fighters. Covered by shields but without invisibility, it was a contest to see who could deplete the other's defenses first. Massive volleys were exchanged amongst the snow-capped caps of the mountains, each struggling to pull ahead of the other. The shield held firm, and Astikai could afford to pull troops away to support the other engagement, but valuable damage would be lost against Columbine's shield. However, Columbine understood that very well, and resolved to not budge her troops in the slightest. In fact, with her smaller squad moving up the mountain, she'd be able to storm Astikai's positions as the girl's other squad chased down the other group. But there was also the potential for her to lose that squad moving into the western forest. Even as she called them back, they were still fervently pursued.

A plan formulating, Columbine had the squad up the mountain teleport right beside Astikai's shielded formation, before jumping back down. At the same time, she dispersed her fire-team in the peaks, moving half of them to catch Astikai's squad at the bottom, while an invisibility generator was moved from another squad. Said generator had not been using her powers just for this occasion, so the enemy had no way of knowing that the missing girl had such a power. Quick distributions and redistributions of her other forces gave the illusion that she was seriously shifting her compositions, and that the way in the peaks was clear.

Astikai's pursuit force was pushed back, but as the force higher up moved ahead to try and encircle Columbine's lower troops, they walked into no trap. Even as they carefully scanned ahead, Astikai expecting such a maneuver, they found nothing. In reality, the stealthed squad had moved to the eastern side, where they sprung upon one of Astikai's units from the rear. Meanwhile she managed to successfully disengage in the west, and reset that engagement.

Columbine merely shook her head as her mind comprehended a trio of other battles at the same time. "She really is all too predictable," Columbine whispered. "It's like her heart isn't even in this." The girl eye's narrowed as she stared ahead, imagining Astikai in some similar state of planning. "Of course, I don't think she puts it into anything." A pause, as Columbine searched her memories for a moment, "Anything but her…"

* * *

None were disturbed by the warp exit. All had gotten used to the sensation over the years, to the point where the rumbling that ran up and down the ship's spine was the most annoying part. In the first minutes after exiting, a ship was blind. As the warp energy dissipated, the astroclairvoyant would be the first to see, and also the first to communicate to the rest, with the networks already being set up by the astrotelepaths.

 _Enemy fleet holding around planet in defense formation. Unsure where the vessels we chased are. Seems to be some kind of damage to the shipyards, a debris field as well. A battle just happened. Currently at peace, however._

Caelina waited a few moments for the network to be fully established among the fleet before she started speaking. _All ahead full. Try to contact them, but prepare to fight. Try and see if there's anything on the planet as well._ Meryet shifted uncomfortably in her seat, impatient and anxious. She could tell herself again and again that she would most certainly succeed, but in the end there was no guarantee. Not in the slightest.

And in this stage, the only thing she could do was listen to the voices of the others. What happened what was entirely out of her hands. _This is Captain Emilia Eschaton, Blood Angels 3_ _rd_ _Company, current commander of Task Force Cyprus. Our intention is not to violate the sovereignty of the border worlds. We must see to it that one Sifras Astikai is brought to justice. Are you aware of her location?_

It took a while for the response to come. _She's currently on the planet right now._ Came a calm, if a bit pretentious, voice. _I'd let you at her but I can't be certain of anything._

 _I'm afraid I can't offer much but my word. I'm fully aware that you can start a war just because of this action. I'd rather not get involved in that right now. Let us handle Astikai, and we'll be gone as soon as possible._

Another small period of hesitation. _Sounds like a deal. Hurry along then._ It would be a few minutes before the traitor fleet visibly started clear from its position, but the Imperial force pressed on.

 _Alright,_ Caelina spoke to the fleet, _we'll pinpoint her location, and then throw everything we have at her. Sounds like she's in the middle of a battle herself, so we should have the advantage. Get us there as fast as possible._

* * *

All had proceeded well. They were some five minutes from reaching orbit and launching their craft. The traitor fleet had pulled away to the side, collecting itself in preparation for anything, but they took no aggressive stance. Yet still the tension was high. The slightest mistake could cost thousands of lives this day, and millions if a war were to break out and continue. It was all for only one person.

Meryet's discomfort increased the closer she was to the battlefield. It was a horrifying sensation, for the last time she'd felt this way was decades ago. Practically a lifetime had passed since she was last afraid of going into battle. But that didn't mean she wouldn't win. At least, that's what she told herself.

Then her eyes shot open as the network erupted with a torrent of shocked exclamations. Instantly tapping into the clairvoyant feeds, Meryet's own thoughts joined the others. A cruiser was unleashing its full forward battery into the ranks of the traitor fleet. Torpedoes, lances, and cannons were joined by the broadside weapons that could get an angle.

The cruiser was rapidly accelerating as well, pulling ahead from the edge of the formation. At its current path, it would go right over the planet. It was only due course that the traitors return fire. But their weapons were split across the entire fleet, and the battle-barge Meryet was in shook as the shield took fire.

 _By the Goddess who did that?!_ Caelina screamed. Meryet silenced her connection for a few seconds as the shooter was checked, double-checked, triple-checked, and so on, even as the commander reacted. _Alania…_ muttered the captain, still broadcasting to the fleet. _Launch all Thunderhawks! Get us down to the surface. Bring the fleet around and face them. Call up every authority you can and inform them of what that inquisitor just did! I want her excommunicated in the hour!_

The Thunderhawk rumbled as the engines warmed up. Meryet and her squadmates all looked around uncertainly as the hangar doors rolled open and the Thunderhawk launched out. All of a sudden, her chances of saving Alicia just became much, much more grim.

* * *

Throughout all the battle, Columbine's excitement had reached new, previously unimaginable levels. Now, she felt an ever greater thrill. A triumphant grin that had been growing for some time reached its full width as victory quickly fell into her grasp. Clever management of a single squad of Vlasta's girls had allowed her to shift another to the other side of the mountains. Kept in reserve, they were now striking. In an instant, a crossfire caught out one of Vlasta's squads that had gone rogue. The shield went down, and several were knocked from the sky as they tried to escape. But it didn't end there. As Astikai tried to readjust her forces, Columbine ordered everyone into melee combat. A single massive strike, a gambit. The exact kind that could only work at a single, specific moment.

She threw her arms out to either side as she watched even Margareta's troops struggle to hold out. In but half a minute she'd overwhelmed Astikai's forces, and now that she had all the momentum, she would truly become the one dictating the motions. Her head titled back and stared up at the sky, while her helmet dissipated around her. A loud laugh echoed down the mountain, as she cried, "Astikai! You-"

A terrible pain in her head interrupted her. Her hands came to grip at her hair as an overwhelming pain started to bring her to her knees. It came from Ushio, as the final seals started to break, and the full weight of all of her memories threatened to surge out.

Even as the brunette collapsed to the ground, Columbine couldn't help but feel happy for her. In only a few minutes now, she'd awaken, and then they'd have something a bit closer to the truth, if not the whole truth. _It appears as though today is nothing but victory._ Columbine thought joyfully.

Ushio cut the link just before she went unconscious, but as Columbine stumbled to recover, a gunshot echoed up and down the slopes. A body fell into the snow. She whipped around, raising her bolter instinctively. Yet it wavered as she found it falling upon the source of the sound.

Ingwe stood pointing her revolver at where Alicia was standing. The girl's head was a bloody mess, yet Ingwe was as calm as she could be. "Ingwe?" Columbine asked, speaking with her real mouth. A strange sensation swept over her as the girl slowly turned to point the gun at Columbine.

"I'm sorry," Ingwe whispered. She looked into the girl's eyes, "We really were good friends." In fact, she didn't even pull the trigger. The weapon dissipated as she stepped over to sling Alicia's body over her shoulder. "My name _is_ Ingwe." She explained quietly, "And I serve Her Holy Majesty's Imperial Inquisition." Ingwe looked at Columbine again. Desperately, Columbine wanted to see regret in those eyes of hers. Maybe there was a hint of it, but overwhelmingly it was a calm that Columbine had come to know the girl for, "It was a good ten years."

Then she leapt away. As Columbine stared on in disbelief, she heard word of Hjalma's squad teleporting away from the battle. Her mouth formed a small 'o' as everything hit her at once. In all her calculations, in all her predictions, in all her thoughts, she had never anticipated this. This single outcome had seemed impossible.

Then a thought came into her mind, from a source she'd previously given little care to. _They've backstabbed us. Engaging now, they're coming for you._ Vlasta warned, as reports of the battle above rolled into her mind.

Columbine fell to her knees, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. Ten years seemed to disappear in an instant, as she questioned if even she herself was what she thought she was. A content look came onto her face. "Just as I made her lose everything, now I lose everything." The girl whispered, even as Astikai started to recover from that loss of momentum. A few seconds passed, before she slowly turned her head to stare up at the sky. "Oh mother…I'm so sorry."

* * *

 **Within the next week, one or two more chapters should be out that wrap up this current sort-of-"arc", so to speak. Vergiana's part has already reached its current conclusion, that's why the last chapter ended on the note it did, as I won't be revisiting it for a little bit. The reason for that is want to focus entirely on Erwine, as I completely dropped that over the past couple months. A lot of stuff happened in the last few months, and I'm not happy with my output at all. My current plan is to put In Someone's Name on hiatus for about a month's time, then get as much of In Her Holy Majesty's done as I can. After that, they'll hopefully start running consistently again, at the same time.**

 **I can't help but feel that this chapter is a bit rushed, but perhaps that's just cold feet right before posting. Again, next chapter will be in the next week, hopefully sooner. I can't tell if one or two more will finish this, I'll have to see what it actually looks like when I sort it all out.**

 **Sorry for the long delay. I know I said this like half a dozen times, so maybe if I say it enough it'll come true, but I'm back on track, at least for the foreseeable future.**


	20. Dance of Gold

For as much as she had been prided on her planning, though it was mainly her doing the praising these days, Columbine hadn't the slightest idea of what to do at the moment. Just beyond the walls around her, which she figured were quite feeble given the ordinance being tossed around outside, it sounded like a war was going on.

Of course, war, by definition, implied some greater political objective as well as the presence of established polities between which a state of war could be present. Though the destruction outside was equal to that of a war, if one were being picky, and Columbine couldn't help but be, there was no war outside.

It was more akin to a long, extended bar fight. With stakes generally higher of course, and the reasons more complex than spilled drinks or exchanged dirty glances, but the analogy was still workable. Another thundering detonation shook the ground as Columbine merely sighed. "These people…" She muttered as she dropped her bolter down to one hand.

A short glance around the small cellar revealed nothing new. She was only there because it stopped people from seeing her, though she did have to pray that no telepath was after her, or that anyone with any kind of serious explosive capability would decide to just destroy everything. She really wasn't sure what kind of capabilities her current foes did have, but she at least knew that they were theoretically not hunting her at the moment.

She'd arrived on the planet, Kerch, only half a dozen hours before. Things had been relatively normal then. An independent world in the northeastern portion of the galaxy, it sat in the midst of a sector beset by enough problems that going after a world surrounded by gravitational anomalies simply wasn't worth the effort. Then, somebody had the bright idea to start shooting at someone else.

Though Columbine listened intently to the general chatter, no one was really sure what was going on, except for those who did, and though there were seemingly plenty of those folk around, Columbine was not among their ranks. The rest were left wondering whether this was an Inquisitorial raid, infighting between rival warbands, an actual bar fight that spiraled out of control, or even a mere accident.

Columbine had no intention of getting wrapped up in that mess. In her mind she had her own target, but it was unlikely that the chaos would give her the chance. The building shook violently all of a sudden. Columbine rolled her eyes, raising her bolter as she prepared for the ceiling to collapse in. Her armor covered her, and she wasn't afraid of any cave-in.

Another rumble, and then the ceiling collapsed. Columbine dashed aside from where the rubble fell down, and took cover in an intact corner. Bolter pointed upwards, she waited for the first sign of anyone. The moment a leg poked down through the hole, a curse slipped from her lips. _Of course they run into me here._

Then two girls dropped down into the basement, and spotted her immediately. The grenade was already flying as Columbine loosed a couple shots, before she leapt forwards and then upwards. They were right after her as she emerged into the shell of a building that remained. Explosion touching off behind her, Columbine leapt through the ruined wall and into the alley beyond with gunfire chasing after her.

They weren't the only ones. As Columbine ducked around another corner, an axe-blade barely missed her as she dodged to the side. A wild punch was parried by the girl's bare hand, while she swung the weapon in for the kill. Columbine slammed her bolter into the thing, a grenade going along with it. Both leapt away as the explosion consumed the intersection for a brief second.

Knife drawn from her belt, she kept running, while another volley sent her fleeing into another building, this one more intact. Quickly searching for exits, she was stopped by a voice that shouted, "I'm tired of you running." The girl in black armor turned around and saw the one in armor covered in yellow and black stripes. A revolver was in her hand as she entered the building.

"You again," Columbine remarked. She smiled, "I admit, I didn't expect you to come to me."

The smirk hidden behind the other's helmet was clear from her voice. "Really now, don't act like you've the upper hand." Columbine just shrugged.

"Care to see who really does?" She raised her knife, realizing how puny of a threat that was. In part, she was surprised that her opponent obliged. She slid the revolver into its holster, and then drew her own blade.

She nodded, "Let's go, then." Columbine didn't move. Though her was knife was raised, and she was in a fighting stance, she didn't take a single step. Rather, she stepped backwards. Once, then twice. Yet the bait wasn't bit.

"That only works once." Commented her opponent. Then she rushed in, her knife stabbing forwards. As Columbine moved to parry, the knife was flicked to the left hand, already in position to slash with the weapon. The cut barely missed Columbine's visor as the girl leaned back, but her enemy kept pushing forwards and body slammed Columbine backwards into the wall. A slash outwards with the left hand was merely bait for a stab into the gut from the right, the knife one again shooting like a lightning bolt from one hand to the other.

Columbine leapt forwards into the stab, punching out at the other's face, while her knife stabbed up from below the waist. Her knife hand was grabbed, but her fist connected, and in order to ensure her stab connected, the girl deactivated the counter-magic field around the armor so as to not be deflected back by Columbine's punch. It worked, and she stood firm to bury her knife in Columbine's stomach. Then she tried to leap back, but not before Columbine opened her palm and struck at the girl's head.

She instantly focused herself, and easily overwhelmed the magic barrier surrounding the armor. But the girl was moving too fast, and though she stumbled backwards from the attempted strike on her memories, she did get away. But Columbine rushed forwards, and a quick pair of punches sent her opponent to the ground. Then she dropped herself straight down into a punch right into the chest. It left a small dent in the metal.

Columbine stood up, and shook her head. Her helmet dissolved in blue light as she looked around the ruined room, "Why are we even fighting like this?" she sighed.

The other girl climbed to her feet, and her helmet went away too, exposing a head of platinum hair. She smiled as she looked at her foe, "So you're Columbine, the girl who was with-"

"Don't say it," Columbine spat. "That was a long time ago."

"Nine months isn't very long." The other countered, but that just got her on the other end of an angry glare. She nodded in some form of understanding. "Well, I suppose you're looking for someone else to follow."

"I'm looking for something to do, yes." Columbine replied. Then she frowned, "Aren't you supposed to be killing me?"

The other looked to be unable to find a reply for a few moments, then she said, "I've grown tired of my current commander. Too boring, too wrapped up in petty grudges against people like you." She looked outside, "I doubt they'll be back, I told them I can handle you, and we've other interests at the moment as well."

Columbine stayed silent. She understood what the other was proposing. "I don't think you really get what I want."

"What is it?" asked the other, as though she was accepting of anything.

The blonde took a deep breath, and said quietly, "I want everyone to know my name." A pause, then she continued to explain, "I want to be known by everyone in history, whether it's as a hero or a villain." She turned to fully face the other, "That's my desire."

For a minute, the other mulled over what she'd heard. Her face brightened up at the end of her deliberation, and she happily said, "That's a far better desire than anything else I've heard." She reached her hand out, "I'd be glad to go wherever you go, just call me Ingwe."

Columbine looked down at the proffered hand. Perhaps begrudgingly. she shook it and replied, "Columbine." For some reason she couldn't figure out, she found herself smiling.

* * *

"Sifras Astikai," the girl introduced herself, "But I prefer just Astikai." There was a wicked sort of grin on her face. The kind one couldn't trust and made one think twice about approaching, yet still intrigued one enough to entice them into inquiring about what exactly caused that smile.

The girl sat across from the two of them, in her armor. It was a bit strange, for the other two weren't looking battle-ready. Columbine figured the other girl found it to be some sort of advantage, that she hold the high ground in terms of appearance, but at least in Columbine's mind she didn't.

"What do you want from me?" Columbine wondered. "From us?" she added as she nodded to Ingwe.

Astikai cut straight to the point, thankfully enough. "I've heard that you want to make a name for yourself." That grin somehow grew even more sinister, "For the specific reason of making a name for yourself." Columbine was about to cut in and ask exactly how she knew that, but figured that it was best to remain calm. "I'm the leader of a meager little band, and I could use some more help."

She looked at the two of them, "And you two are perfect fits."

"What do you mean?" Columbine demanded, "I'm not doing grunt work for you."

"Second-in-command. For all intents and purposes the chief strategist and tactician." Astikai replied. "I can provide you with the men and materials, even the power, and all you have to do is manipulate it."

Columbine thought for a few seconds, as she tried to find some sort of catch to the deal she was being offered. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find anything, even that grin Astikai wore, to suggest she was being played. Though Columbine knew that the girl certainly her her own agenda, it remained to be seen how smart she really was. Even if she did, Columbine figured that would only give herself more of a reputation.

And besides, she was being offered precisely what she wanted. She reached her hand across the table. "We have a deal," she paused a moment, then grinned, "Yes, we most certainly do."

* * *

Had it all been a lie? That was what Columbine found herself forced to ask as she sat upon that mountain-top for a long minute. She had to question if Ingwe had ever told anything close to the truth, or if everything was merely a lie. _It means this was all arranged from the very beginning,_ Columbine realized in horror. _Ingwe came to me to get at Alicia, and what Ushio knows, and from the beginning Astikai planned for me to help her._

She looked to the side at Ushio. _Ciuatl…_ she realized, _was she on their side too? Has this entire thing just been a set-up?_ Overpowering that despair, that feeling close to acceptance of all this, was pure, unadulterated rage. Her fists clenched tight, and even as she stared at Ushio's fallen body she stood to her feet.

A desperate voice called out, "Columbine!" Cherepia landed just beside her, having hurried back from the battle.

Tears poured down her cheeks, but Columbine didn't lose any conviction. "Pull them back, keep them alive." Columbine said, "I don't care if we win or not, I'm not losing anyone else." She glared furiously at the girl, "Don't die, you bitch." She spat with the greatest rage she'd ever felt, "You're going to help me make Ingwe and everyone she works for suffer." With that, she leapt away.

She'd seen the direction Ingwe leapt in, and followed her with the longest jumps she could possibly make. Hundreds of meters were cleared in an instant as she poured all the energy she had into the girl's pursuit. The magical energy of every impact and subsequent launch left marks in the snow, sending it flying into the air as the wind whipped around Columbine's face.

In the distance, she caught sight of the girl, certainly moving to meet with her comrades. _Cherepia, if you can, pull the squad over here. Delay them if you can!_ She screamed the order, not leaving any room for interpretation. But as she touched down again, Columbine leapt backwards, tumbling down the snowy slope as a golden bolt smashed into where she'd just been, exploding in a brilliant detonation of energy.

As she came to a halt in the depression below, she jumped to her feet, bolter already in her hands. Astikai landed gently a dozen feet from her, a smirk on her face. "Things have gone horribly wrong, haven't they?" she cooed. She looked off in the direction Ingwe went, "I must admit, I thought Cherepia was their mole." She shrugged, "Really, her joining with you made me think that you were aligning yourselves with them." Astikai laughed triumphantly, relishing in Columbine's pain. The blonde stared at her with fury, barely suppressing the anger that coursed through her. She knew she could do nothing, and that fact only gave Astikai further pleasure.

"But it seems that you even you couldn't figure out who it was." Astikai mockingly applauded, as she started to step closer to Columbine. The girl tilted her head to the side, her voice suddenly becoming quieter, a sort of compassion leeching into it. "Tell me Columbine," She stopped right in front of the blonde, and whispered, "Would you like to die?"

Columbine's arm snapped out, and her fingers clenched tightly down on Astikai's neck. They stared into each other's eyes as Columbine growled, "Even if it hurts, I'd rather live." She spat into the girl's face. Astikai raised her eyebrows, her expression questioning the seriousness of Columbine's actions.

Her left hand came up, and all it took was a slight squeeze to send pain shooting up and down Columbine's arm. Armor and bones cracked alike as the girl gripped Columbine's wrist, and as Columbine flinched from the shock of the pain, Astikai put her hand on the girl's head, and slowly pushed her down to her knees.

Columbine was powerless to resist as her knees came into contact with the snow. Astikai held her arm up, while she kept her palm laid on her head. Columbine's eyes were open wide as she stared straight ahead. For a moment, everything was silent. "It really was a pleasure," Astikai said quietly, "But I'd rather see you die in despair than in hope." Columbine felt a strange sort of peacefulness, as if this was a fitting punishment for her failure.

Then suddenly, from the side came the sound of energy releasing, and then a bright blue flash struck the distracted Astikai. Snow erupted into the air as she was slammed into the slope beside them, while Columbine was dropped down to the ground. She hastily pushed herself up to find her savior, only for her to freeze in shock.

Ushio slowly walked down the hillside. Around her hand dissipated the last fragments of the program that just blasted Astikai. Her hair whipped in the wind, and though her glasses were still on her face, and her armor was no different, she looked like a different person. Her expression was a look of staunch conviction that Columbine had never even imagined on Ushio's face.

"You've protected me for this long," Ushio said sternly. She spread her arms out, magic already beginning to trail from them to form the complex matrices. "It's time I returned the favor."

Astikai slowly got to her feet, laughing in joy. "Oh, this is simply beautiful!" She shouted as Ushio began to weave the program. "You're finally back, you little coward!"

The girl in the glasses wasn't cowed by the shouts. Her face spread into a little grin, the kind of grin that Columbine did know Ushio for. "Don't think I'm not scared," she said as she met Astikai's, "Rather, understand that fear won't hold me back anymore." The magic circles fully materialized, and she outstretched her arm to release the attack. She said resolutely, "I'll finish this mess we started ten years ago, Astikai." The bolt of energy shot out as she continued, "I'll free you, and I'll free _her._ "

A golden lance from Astikai met the blast head on, and Columbine was sent rolling away as the two collided and detonated in a bright flash. Another bolt chased Ushio into the air, as she jumped towards Columbine. She dodged another, before she touched down just long enough to grab the blonde's hand. "That's assuming I desire freedom!" Astikai shouted, "In truth, this is a most wondrous state! And surely, you do not believe that she's happier with me, her savior, rather than you, her tormentor?!"

Columbine held tight in her arms, Ushio leapt down the slope, sliding halfway before jumping away from another one of Astikai's shots. She called back, "I'll end her suffering! You just prolong it!" They cleared a small ridge, and Columbine got herself down from her friend's arms.

"We won't be able to fight her," Columbine said frantically as she struggled to regain her footing.

"But we'll try," Ushio said sternly. Suddenly the sky seemed to roar, and both glanced up to see a wave of Thunderhawks swooping down from on high. In the same moment, Astikai came leaping over the ridge, a pair of bolts sending the two scattering down the mountainside.

"Keep running!" Astikai shouted, "It's all the more enjoyable!" Barely dodging the bolts in midair, Columbine and Ushio landed near the bottom of the slope, finding themselves on an icy plateau. They took a few steps back as Astikai landed in front of them, clearly taking joy in her cornering of the two. "I must say I never expected poor little Ushio to be so brave, not after so long." She smiled wickedly as she took a step forwards, hand outstretched.

"I'm not running from myself anymore." Ushio said, "Even if I'm the cause for all of this, I'll fix my own problems." She took a stance, ready to do whatever she could. Astikai was clearly focused on her, Columbine little more than a side note at this point.

Astikai just smirked, "Once again, you're wrong. There's no problem to be fixed. She's in absolute bliss right now." She chuckled, "Indeed, so am I."

The lance flew forwards. Columbine leapt towards Ushio. Though Astikai's eyes weren't on her, she hadn't just given up. The counter-magic field around her left arm was as strong as it could be. She pushed Ushio aside, holding the limb out, and with the nanosecond she had braced herself for the pain.

In a bright explosion of light, her arm disappeared. As did a chunk of her chest. Columbine was sent flying backwards as the world spun around her. But Ushio didn't miss the chance. A leap forwards sent her into melee range, and her hand parried aside Astikai's other palm.

Several quick strikes hit the girl's body, before the program she quickly wove coalesced around her right hand and sent Astikai stumbling back. But as she tried to press the advantage, Astikai denied her every strike, and sent her retreating, opening up a perfect window for the girl's open palm.

Columbine watched in terror as the bolt flow forwards, sure to strike Ushio right in the gut. It wouldn't kill, but it would end the fight without a doubt. Then something stopped it. A flash of light that embedded itself into the ice, sending cracks snacking through it, and even the rock underneath. The bolt struck it and dissipated in a burst of sparkling golden particles.

It was a sword. A simple straight sword, lacking any special ornamentation. Then came a foot in a dark green boot. The ball landed on the blade's hilt, driving it down with enough force to split off the entire chunk of the mountainside, before the heel of the foot kicked the blade around and out of the ground.

It spun around in the air to land in a hand gloved in the same shade of dark green, before it became another bright flash as it was swung at Astikai. The girl leapt backwards, just as surprised as Columbine and Ushio were. As the figure, wearing a dark green colored cloak, raced upwards at Astikai, Columbine and Ushio began to fall downwards. The entire motion had been a couple of seconds.

And the figure didn't stop their movement. Thrusts faster than the eye could see sent Astikai retreating backwards, though it seemed there was no escape. Ushio leapt over to Columbine, scooping the girl into her hands and leaping away from the collapsing plateau as the air started to fill with Astikai's golden bolts.

But the cloaked figure, their face concealed in a strange shadow that didn't appear to have a source, was unfazed by the barrages. Not a single one of the blasts could touch her, but with only one hand she was moving her blade fast enough to send Astikai packing.

"W-who is that?" Columbine asked in astonishment as Ushio carried her. "What is it?" Overhead, the Thunderhawks were diving in for attack runs, squads of knights teleporting out as they did.

"I don't know," Ushio replied as she nodded forwards, "But she's not important. Let her go after Astikai. We need to worry about Alicia."

* * *

It was a blink of light that brought her to the snow-covered mountaintop. And before her eyes was a sight most wondrous, even more so than the admittedly beautiful mountains. Through the shining white range a duel was fought. Between two individuals that reminded her of the stories that spoke of the primarchs.

Bright flashes of light came from one figure, beams that reminded her of that girl from Cyprus. They demolished the mountains wherever they touched, with not a single one touching the cloaked figure that danced around the other with impunity. Wild flurries of slashes and thrusts were barely dodged or parried by the other's bare hand, with the blade moving so fast that even Meryet's advanced eyesight could barely glimpse it's motion.

They stared in awe for a moment, before Caelina, near to them, called out to the entire force, _Stay away from them! Do not approach Astikai, or the cloaked one. I repeat, let them be! Neither of them are our allies._ She said no more about the matter, and instantly began directing the troops to counter the wild assortment of traitors arrayed before them.

Meryet didn't listen, paying attention only to finding Alicia. She glanced back at the rest of her squad, already knowing Lucine's opinion but still questioning the rest. _We're with you._ Tentheta assured her, _do what you must, we'll follow._

Taking a gambit, a risky one too, she called out to the whole area on a broad signal, _Alicia!_ Repeating the call several times found nothing, so she repeated on the squad's special frequency. Though there were thousands upon thousands of squads in the universe, they were enough subtle differences in telepathic frequencies that each one could set their own unique one. _I will find her, I will find her._ Repeated again and again in her mind.

But that garnered no reply either. Sporadic fighting began to erupt throughout the area, but the traitors were disorganized, with many retreating. Though it was a few seconds later that a response did come, but from an unlikely source. _This isn't your Alicia, but this is someone who's also looking for her._ Came an unknown voice to her mind. _We'll show up a couple hundred meters ahead of you._ Then a group of traitors in black armor appeared down the slope from them. The response was immediate, but Meryet held up her hand.

 _You're the ones from Cyprus._ She observed, _did you lose her?_

 _We did. A traitor, working for your Inquisition, funnily enough._ Replied the girl, _If you want to get her back from your own side, then follow us, our commander's going after her right now._

 _The Inquisition?!_ Meryet responded in shock. She instantly sent word to Caelina. Lucine stepped forwards.

 _An Inquisitor just shot at your friends in orbit, starting this whole mess. I think I'm seeing a common enemy here._ She commented. But ultimately, it was Tentheta's decision.

The sergeant looked at the rest of the squad briefly, before she shrugged, _I think we're all with Meryet._

Meryet nodded. _Thank you,_ she sent to them, before she sent to the traitor knights, _We'll come along. But don't try anything._

 _We won't. Trust me, I've had enough of betrayals for a little while._ Replied the other.

* * *

In all her thoughts, Columbine had never imagined ending up in Ushio's arms. Though she'd never imagined anything about the current situation. Not a single thing had been considered. That was the real root behind all her anger. Shame. Her mind was consumed by the horrific shame that she had allowed this to happen, despite all the clues being right before her eyes all along. She remained silent as she lay there, wondering if it would have been right for her to die.

Ushio kept leaping, now progressing into the forest. All they could do was hope that Ingwe had yet to regroup, else Alicia was gone entirely. But the next moment she hit the ground, the air flashed around her, and around twenty girls flashed into existence. She came to a stop, recognizing Cherepia and her comrades, but also seeing the armor of the Fallen Angels. The girl stared at them, recognizing that they were the ones they'd taken Alicia from.

 _Our interests are aligned,_ explained the girl who'd fought Columbine so fervently, _at least for the moment. Let's not waste any time._ She leapt again, and Ushio followed right behind with the others.

 _Enemy approaching from the east,_ called the clairvoyant amongst the Angels.

Cherepia called, _I'll go after them._ Seven of the Fallen Angels split off with them.

 _Just hold them off._ Ushio called, _you can't fight Dvasia and Tamashii, just give us some time._

 _We have reinforcements incoming._ Replied the girl who appeared to be the sergeant of the loyalists, _go get Alicia._

Telepathic scanning revealed one signature in the forest. Alicia had been shot, so it made sense only one mind would be active. As the battle erupted near the edge of the forest, they caught sight of Ingwe. She was leaning back against a tree, but there was no one else to be found.

Ushio touched down beside her, the two Fallen Angels next to her. Alicia was nowhere. And Ingwe looked as though a demon had just reached out to her. She sat in a state of shock as she lay against the tree, eyes wide. Her hands were malformed and crushed, utterly destroyed.

 _What happened?_ Asked one of the loyalists, while the other merely reached out to her in anger.

Wrapping her hands around her throat, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Where is she?!"

Ushio shook her head, and lowered Columbine to her feet. "That's no good." She commented. Then she asked Columbine, "Can you?"

Columbine nodded, "For her I can." Then the rage that drove her before renewed as she stood up. She looked at the other knight, and said, "Give her to me, I'll rip the memories out of her head." The knight looked at Columbine for a moment, but all it took was seeing that similar anger on her face for her to comply.

Ingwe was dropped, only for Columbine to catch her with the one hand she had. Palm glowing bright blue, she slammed the girl against the trunk of the tree, and dove forth into her exposed mind, even as Ingwe tried ineffectively to squirm from her grasp.

* * *

Ingwe was jumping through the forest. The meeting point was only a little ways ahead, though her comrades were being delayed by Columbine's forces. In her arms, the body remained lifeless and limp. As she made another jump, suddenly the air ignited with energy. Around her materialized four points of energy that linked together to send electricity coursing through her body.

Alicia hit the ground at the same time Ingwe did. As the platinum-haired girl struggled to get to her feet, she looked up into a pair of eyes that brought fear to her heart. Ciuatl's hand wrapped around her throat. "You dirty little traitor." The girl said with a maniacal grin. Ingwe tried to summon her revolver, but her hand seized up with pain without Ciuatl even moving. The girl's mind was in her own. But that couldn't be what made Ingwe's collapse in on itself, the bones warping and snapping as some invisible force turning it into a twisted mush. Even as Ingwe tried and failed to scream, the same happened to her other hand.

"This is what traitors deserve," Ciuatl explained calmly. Her grip was just light enough to let Ingwe breathe, but she didn't release the girl. "I would destroy every bone in your body, slowly too, but that would just slow me down." She stared right into Ingwe's eyes. "And besides, I want Columbine to know exactly who took her precious little doll."

Ingwe was cast against a tree trunk, and slid down. Some force held her there, and she could do nothing but watch as Ciuatl lifted up Alicia's body. "I'm the only victor on this day," the girl smiled at Ingwe, then laughed as she walked away. After a couple seconds, she seemed to fade away. Not like she teleported or activated invisibility, but like she simply dissipated from reality.

* * *

Though Columbine had those visions, which were sent to Ushio, she didn't stop there. She kept digging down through the girl's mind, breaking through the mental barriers to rifle through years and years of memory. Deep within, she saw what Ingwe had been doing for ten years, sending steady reports to her masters on everything Astikai did, all the people she came into contact with.

She saw how everything had been carefully planned, planned so that Columbine would be the unwitting pawn. A plan to obtain Ushio's memories and hopefully some other link to the Athena experiment. The experiment that Hjalma failed to interrupt, whcich gave birth to a special force designed to hunt down those responsible for the Disappearance, and prevent them from replicating it. But Hjalma and her group lied, and whilst reporting that they were unsuccessful and feeding back occasional bits of choice information on the whereabouts of some highly-wanted individual, secretly planned to conduct the experiment themselves once they could figure out the process.

But that was all Ingwe knew.

She dropped to the ground in a daze, as Columbine looked away from her. As she regained her consciousness, Columbine spat, "I trusted you. I trusted you with my life and this is what I get for it."

Ingwe didn't reply for a few seconds. "I trusted you too." She said quietly.

Columbine turned and grabbed the girl by the hair. She lifted her up straight into a punch to the face. "Don't ever say that again," Columbine growled as Ingwe staggered back against the tree. She stared at the other girl for a long second, before she spat, "Killing you won't satisfy anything. Get out of my sight before I question that."

The platinum-haired girl paused, looking confusedly at her, till Ushio stepped forwards. She nodded to the two Fallen Angels, "You just robbed them of their closest comrade. I'd suggest you start running, before I betray Columbine's wishes and make you suffer."

Ingwe sighed, and turned around. "The next time we meet, then." She called back to Columbine. "Then we'll decide things once and for all." The platinum-haired girl sounded as though she knew what she'd done. But it was hard to tell if she regretted it, savored it, or both.

Columbine smiled sadly, "Sounds good to me," she replied as the girl walked away into the woods. Ingwe looked back one last time, eyes filled with a longing for _something._ She spoke, and after the first word Columbine joined with her, "May we meet again, in this world or the next." A few seconds later, a girl appeared beside her before they both disappeared in the flash of teleportation.

Ushio turned to the loyalists as Cherepia's voice came into her head, _they're pulling back. Looks like they've realized they lost._

An affirmation was sent back, right before Ushio said, "I apologize that we were unable to retrieve Alicia…but…" She wondered how to put it for a moment, "But she wouldn't have returned with you anyways."

Alicia's self-declared protector's helmet dissipated, and she questioned, "Why is that?"

"Because she knows the truth about her existence," Ushio explained, careful not to tread on emotions, "She's linked intrinsically with whatever happened on Athena ten years ago. She can't run from that fact. Alicia would rather turn her back on the Imperium to find the truth."

The dark-haired girl looked ready to unleash a furious tirade, but the other put her hand on her shoulder. "Let's not be too hasty, Meryet," warned the other.

"You're the ones who took her in the first place, why should I trust you?" Meryet demanded, as tears streamed down her face. She was close to breaking completely into weeping, but held herself together for just a bit longer.

Ushio didn't say a word for several seconds, not even trying to. She looked to be ruminating on something; her expression suggested shame. "Because in a way, I was the one who cursed Alicia in the first place. That girl with Astikai, is somehow her twin." Ushio shook her head sadly as regret flowed through her, "Were it not for me, none of this would have happened."

Meryet opened her mouth to shout back angrily, tears flowing down her cheeks like waterfalls, but it was Columbine who cut in and said, "Don't you say anything to her," she demanded, "She accepts her mistakes." A pause, "And besides we're not the ones who have her anymore." She glanced back at the mountains, where the duel between Astikai and the mysterious figure still raged, "Really, I don't know who does at this point."

* * *

The larger battles had effectively ceased. In orbit, both fleets had backed off from one another as Alandia's ship, on the other side of the planet, received a gunship and then shot off at full speed. On the ground, Astikai's forces were encircled, whilst what remained of Vlasta's troops had withdrawn, albeit with heavy losses.

But all remained to watch the duel unfold. It was as though two gods were locked in combat. The sword was shot fast enough to shatter entire cliffsides, and the simple scabbard of the weapon often followed along with it, both being used as weapons to keep Astikai on her toes.

The scabbard flew outwards as Astikai, striking her straight in the gut, before the sword flew smoothly into the sheath, the energy being transferred directly from the blade's movement to Astikai's body. Sent flying backwards, the cloaked figure's jump outpaced her flight to grab the sword. A motion so fast it was invisible brought the blade down directly in front of Astikai's body, sparks flying as it sliced through the very outer layer of the armor. Astikai came to a halt where she landed, and a magnificent golden glow started in her gut.

Sheathing her blade, the cloaked girl didn't seem worried. She started to slowly walk towards Astikai across the snow-covered plateau they were on. Her pace didn't increase, and she didn't even try to interrupt Astikai's charge. Indeed, it seemed that the golden sphere of energy forming around the girl, a phenomenon never before seen during this attack, would have prevented any such effort.

The light was brighter than the sun in the sky by the time Astikai finished charging, and the entire world took on a weird golden tint. Then in a single instant it was all released. Innumerable bolts of bright golden light, each as bright as a star, shot towards the figure. Every single one. A barrage that had destroyed capital ships now homed in on the single girl.

She started running, sheath held in her left hand. Just as one would have hit her, she started running on the air. There was no surface for her to be on top of, but she was running. She ran around in a spiral towards Astikai, even though gravity should have pulled her down from any platform of magical particles.

Then she leapt forwards, hit the ground, and rolled aside from another several. Around another volley she gracefully danced, perhaps one of the most beautiful motions Columbine had laid eyes upon up to that moment. But it didn't end there. Even as the mountain range was reduced to bits by the tremendous power, the girl still dodged.

Then she was running again. All through the air, jumping from one platform to the other, taking other spiral paths, rolling aside as she landed on the ground, performing that same graceful dance around a dozen beams at a time. Not a single one touched her.

It looked to be completely impossible. Yet there it was, happening right there before them. Massive golden beams carved apart the mountains, even going out of control and shooting down into the forests around them. Absolute destruction was being wrought upon the world, but this girl avoided it all as though it were nothing.

The cloaked swordsman was only a dozen feet from Astikai now. A last final leap brought her to the girl. Her right hand reached to the hilt of her blade. A motion that seemed to slice apart the air severed Astikai's left arm. Then before Astikai could react, she'd severed the right. Then the swordsman swung her body forwards and released the sheath, sending it flying into Astikai's stomach. As she flew backwards, the blade joined the sheath, sending her even further.

The swordsman once again outpaced her own attack, and as Astikai landed, the sheath bounced up from her chest. A single fluid motion snatched the scabbard from the air and drew the blade from within. The sword penetrated Astikai's chest in a stroke that seemed almost underwhelming, yet it still landed. Upon Astikai's face was at first surprise, but that quickly changed into content, which gave way to a victorious grin.

Then the world held its breath. Ushio gasped in shock, even horror at the sight. Columbine rushed forwards, wishing to hear whatever last words Astikai might have. But they were too far away. Luckily, somebody was listening, and everyone heard the girl.

Staring up at the figure in green, Astikai merely laughed. It was a haughty laugh, the kind more fitting for one's victory over a lesser than one's death to a superior. But still, she laughed. Even as her soul gem fragmented and prepared to split entirely, she laughed.

The swordsman sheathed her blade, and waited respectfully for her final words. Astikai looked up at the sky, the bright blue sky, and whispered, "You fools….I wasn't the host. All along…I was the parasite."

Astikai's arm reached up as tears streamed down her cheek. "Now go," her words almost inaudible, but her voice so sweet and calm, "Go my little golden bird. Spread your wings and be free..." Then a sound like glass cracking echoed through the peaks, and Astikai's arm fell down. Her eyes shut, and her expression was one of peace.

In the sky, there was a brief golden flash, almost like a shooting star. It disappeared as soon as it came, but it burned brighter than the sun.

* * *

 **There will be another chapter out by Sunday or Monday that wraps things up for this portion of the story. Goods news is that I have a lot less of Volume 2 of In her Holy Majesty's left than I thought I did, so I might actually be able to finish it in the next month, but that remains to be seen.**


	21. Goodnight

**Sorry for this being a day late. I only got the chapter finished up yesterday, and it's my policy to sleep on every chapter before posting, to make sure I've done all I can.**

* * *

As the flash in the sky disappeared, the swordsman in dark green looked back down at the lifeless girl lying in the snow. For a moment she stared at her in silence, then she turned away. As she completed the motion, her cape billowed out around her and she disappeared entirely, as though she slipped into an invisibility field.

She was gone, entirely gone. No answers, no explanations. Just the gently smiling body that stood as a monument to her deeds. The world was eerily silent, and no sound came forth to fill that void.

 _Everyone pull back,_ Caelina ordered to the Imperials, _our job here is done._ It was a slow process, but not due to any ongoing battle that had to be properly disengaged from. The knights merely wondered how everything ended so quickly.

Meryet was perhaps the only one not in awe. Her gaze dropped from the mountains lower and lower till she stared at the ground, then her legs fell out beneath her. The tears that had been stopped by the previous grandeur returned, and she quietly sobbed as she knelt there.

She felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder, and knew without looking that it was Lucine. That girl dropped to one knee beside Meryet, her arms moving to embrace the girl. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's not your fault," Meryet replied, not moving from where she was. "I'm the one who lost her in the first place." Around them, their comrades teleported in, but not a single spoke as they saw Meryet sobbing.

The traitor knights came as well, and they didn't hesitate long before the two gathered with the rest. But Meryet interrupted them, "Wait," she called. The blonde haired girl, arm still a bloody stump, turned to face her. "Why did you take Alicia?"

It appeared that the answer was simple, but the traitor had a hard time saying it. She opened her mouth, but it was a few seconds before any sound came out. "The truth, behind Athena." She explained. Her expression turned to one of sadness, and she solemnly said, "I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to take her forever."

Meryet narrowed her eyes at the girl. Her fury met Columbine's contemplation, and the two girls' stares didn't break for a minute. Meryet started to speak, anger coming from deep down in her heart. "It doesn't matter who has her now." She stated with absolute certainty, "What matters is that _you_ are the one who took her in the first place." There was nothing but anger on Meryet's face as she said, "One day, I will kill you."

Columbine appeared to be surprised by the rage directed at her, but she was pushed aside by the girl that stepped in front of her. Ushio stared down at Meryet, not feeling any burning rage, rather it was an ice-cold glare. She was calm. "You can try to do that. I can promise that I'll stop you." The girl shook her head, "And besides, I'm the one who started all this, you should be blaming me." She glanced behind herself, back up at the mountain where Astikai lay. "I'm the only one left to really blame for all this." Ushio turned back to Meryet, and said, "So try. But I'll win."

"You say that," Meryet whispered, "You might even understand my anger." A crazed grin started to appear on her face, as she slowly began to stand up. "But if you really do, then you know that I'll get my revenge…on all of you traitorous bastards."

Ushio nodded, "If that is how it shall be, then so be it." She turned around. "It's inevitable that we'll meet again. Sooner or later, our paths must cross once more." She stepped back into the group and met Meryet's eyes for one last goodbye. "I'm sorry we hurt you. In a way, that too was inevitable." Then they were gone.

Tentheta was the one to break the silence that followed. The frozen undergrowth cracked beneath her as she shifted her feet, and said, "Meryet, I'm sorry that there was nothing we could do."

"Don't apologize," Meryet insisted. She was all too content with saying yet again, "It's my fault."

* * *

After the initial shock and awe had passed, barely ten minutes passed before the forces had separated from one another. Vlasta made some effort to organize her forces on the ground, while Caelina recalled everyone to prepare for extraction, and what was left of Astikai's forces slowly realized that they were stranded with nowhere to go.

 _I apologize for the conduct of the Inquisitor,_ Caelina sent to the ruler of the world, _she's already been declared a traitor, and will be dealt with as swiftly as possible._

 _Nothing too much to worry about,_ the girl replied with a heavy sigh, _we had our own share of betrayals today. You're free to go, I won't call in anyone else. Just don't come back here for a little while._

 _It's not my job to make promises to traitors, but I think I can give you some assurance on that._ Caelina replied. The Thunderhawks were already descending, and though it was an awkward end, it was an end nonetheless.

The girl clad in red armor stood on the mountaintop, blind to the rest of the world, only looking at that trail of destruction carved by the duel. Memories of years long past flowed through her mind. She couldn't cease thinking about that girl. The one in green. "It's been so long it's almost hard to remember it…" Caelina whispered to herself.

Her fists clenched as the weight of hundreds of years of emotions came down upon her shoulders. "Juno…" the name slipped from her mouth like it was unintentional. She shook her head, as another squad teleported in near her. Her attention was drawn to this one, for it was Meryet's.

Caelina turned slowly to face her, though the recollection on her face didn't disappear. Meryet strode towards her, telepathically sending what she was shown by the traitor. The girl halted a few feet away, and slowly, grimly demanded, "Who were they?"

The captain glanced back to the mountain, then to Meryet. "I don't know," She whispered, before walking away.

Meryet grabbed her by the arm. Not merely a request. She gripped down tight, and didn't let go. "Tell me," She demanded furiously, "You know, don't you?"

 _Not here._ Caelina sent to her privately. _Wait, and I'll say what I can._ She ripped her arm from Meryet's grip and, after pinning her with a harsh stare, walked away. Meryet watched her go, almost motivated to storm after her and demand an answer now. But the presence of her comrade dissuaded her from that.

"Meryet, please, stay calm." Lucine said quietly, as she took the girl's hand. Her own helmet dissipated around her head, and she stepped in to try and embrace the girl. But Meryet shoved her aside.

"I lost her," Meryet stammered, as she started to breathe faster, breathes growing deeper at the same time. "I couldn't save her," her eyes glittered. "I don't deserve anything but to spend my life getting her back." Then the tears started again.

* * *

About a third of the mountain range had been obliterated. The station, the rest of the debris, Astikai's attack. All had made their mark in some way. Forever scarred was the formerly pristine land. Over the course of the battle, nine knights had died. Many others were incapacitated or close to the event horizon. Luckily there were no witches on this day.

They were gathered in a loose group. Unsure looks sat on the faces of those without their helmets. It was an awkward sight, for while Vlasta's girls technically outnumbered them, many of those had recently changed sides once more after Astikai's death. Indeed, that girl had been the driving force behind the conflict. Without it, even the Khornates and Slaaneshi found little pleasure in continuing the slugging match.

Every single girl's attention was gotten by Columbine's mere arrival. Cherepia and Ushio at her side, and the rest of her squad around her, the girl stood on the small hillock that overlooked the group of them. Hand clutching at the slowly-regenerating stump of an arm, Columbine seemed only able to stand steady and face them thanks to the hand that lay on her shoulder.

She knew just how dark her gem was, thanks to the whirlwind of emotions that ran through her, chief amongst them being regret. Regret felt for the mistakes that she had, mistakes that had hurt more people than just her. But still, she had to stand. Columbine was the leader, it was her job to stand up and speak. Perhaps merely pride motivated her to force herself in front of them, despite her shame. However, the girl liked to believe that she had some more altruistic motive.

Columbine briefly scanned the crowd and met the gazes of a few. _We're not punishing anyone for this._ Columbine said as she spoke to Vlasta, _enough blood has been shed, and Astikai can't be accepted as the norm._

 _Fine,_ the girl replied, _you're probably smarter than I at this point._ Columbine heard her hesitating, but Vlasta spook sooner than she thought, _and please don't push yourself. You've done good in your life._

Columbine cut the link without a second thought, and as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, she started to speak. "I know that I'm not exactly qualified to hold myself higher than any of you, but I do know that any further conflict here is pointless. Astikai was the cause behind all of this, and there's no reason to keep fighting now that she's gone." She shut her eyes and breathed in, then continued, "There's no grudges held here. Those who were under Astikai are free to go wherever they wish. I don't care, and I know Vlasta won't care."

The blonde tapped her foot against the grass for a few moments, and announced, "My intention is to eventually set out in pursuit of Hjalma and the Inquisitorial forces responsible for this current debacle. The eventual hope is that we can end the legacy of Athena and what happened there for good." A brief pause, "You're free to join me if you desire it, but I won't force anything."

No one replied instantly. Rather, the gathered girls glanced at each other for a few moments, before some kind of consensus was reached among them. Clementine would be the one to speak up in the end. "We shall most likely go our own paths, but if you would accept some of us, then we'll join you. Perhaps we were never friends, but that doesn't mean there was never any disrespect."

Columbine, had she been in a better sort of mood, would have smirked at that, perhaps even remarked about some comments made towards her by a select few individuals. As she was, she merely nodded, and tried her best to smile. "Thank you," She replied quietly.

She realized that there was only so much more time she had before the show would fall apart, so she moved towards concluding, saying, "Good luck to all of you. I hope that some of us will see each other again." That she didn't entirely mean, but it didn't hurt to try and ensure one's own safety.

It was then that she finally realized something. _The Tzeentchians are entirely gone. None of them are here._ She realized, speaking to Ushio and the others. _So they're all with Ciuatl._

Columbine nodded, and finished with, "Goodbye, and again, thank you." With that, she turned away, a bit hastily. She said nothing to Alice, so it must have been Ushio that told her to get them out of there. They disappeared in a blink of an eye.

* * *

As she entered, she saw the girl she sought reclining in a chair. She faced the window that showed the space beyond. Warp entry was not for a little while yet, but the shutters would close when it came.

The chair was a soft, padded one, though it stood strangely alone amidst the rest of the room. A crimson dress covered the girl, not in her armor, as she crossed her legs. Her hands were clasped in front of her face, and she didn't appear to notice Meryet as she entered. At least she didn't pay her any mind.

Ensuring the door was shut behind her, Meryet immediately stated, "I deserve answers."

Caelina's eyes moved in the corners of their sockets to look at her. Then she looked back to the window, and stared out at the starry void beyond. "Why do you think that?" she wondered.

Meryet narrowed her eyes. "They took Alicia. You clearly knew _something_ about them. I want to save her." She growled, "Tell. Me."

"Didn't those girls say that Alicia wouldn't return even if you found her?" Caelina asked, still not looking at Meryet.

"They could be lying." Meryet shot back instantly, "And even if they weren't, I'm sure they fooled her, tricked her into believing that."

The captain's mouth almost opened as though to laugh, but she suppressed the impulse and questioned, "Why do you think that?"

"Alicia…she'd never…she'd never run away from me." Meryet said, at a loss for words. "She's-not a bad person."

"Discovering one's true nature is a negative desire now," Caelina observed, "Interesting…"

"What's your point?!" Meryet shouted, enraged by the girl's indifference, "Are you going to tell me or not?! Do you even care?!"

Caelina waited a few seconds before saying anything more. Meryet grew more and more impatient, ready to burst out, right before Caelina said simply, "What gives you the right to decide what is best for Alicia?" Nostalgia appeared on her face, transitioning to sadness. "I thought I knew what was best once but…" She shook her head.

The girl stood up. "Never mind that." Caelina turned to face Meryet. "How far back can you remember? Your childhood? Your infancy?"

Meryet was taken aback by the question, but recovered quickly from her perturbation to say, a bit unsurely, "Maybe when I was five or six years old. I know that I can remember much further back if I desired, but I've never taken the time to recover those memories."

Caelina nodded. Her eyebrows raised, "Do you know how old I am?"

Meryet instantly replied, "I don't, you've never told me."

"Three hundred and sixty-one." Caelina said, voice suddenly quiet. "I've been around for a long time. I hit my maximum potential in terms of magic a long time ago, however. I'm not one of those girls who can just keep getting more powerful." A sad smile came onto her face as her head dropped down to stare at the floor. "But I can remember quite far back. Though sometimes…I question if my memory is real."

She looked up at Meryet, and something strange was in her eyes. The word fear described it, but it was not without it sorrow, maybe even longing. "I don't know anymore," Caelina said, bringing a hand up to her face. "But three hundred years ago, my memory tells me that I saw those cloaked girls."

The girl in red shook her head in despair, as she explained, "But the records don't exist. We wrote them down, I saw the repots myself, but they're gone." She looked Meryet in the eyes, "They're gone!" Caelina shouted, "All gone, someone erased them."

She exhaled a deep breath and shut her eyes. "All that's left is my memory. And that memory tells me that the ones we saw are the same." Caelina shook for a second, before she stumbled and let herself drop back into her chair. "I saw one in black, one in white, and glimpses of another girl not like the others." She shook her head, "No green, and I don't know what exactly Ciuatl is."

Caelina covered her face with her hands, and Meryet swore she could hear a sound like crying. "I don't know who these girls work for. I don't know where they're from. But I know that they can't be beaten. Going against them is futile." She took her hands away from her face, and her tear-covered cheeks glittered in the dim light as she looked at Meryet. "Don't try. Alicia's gone, and there's nothing you can do."

Meryet was in shock. Eyes wide, jaw gaping, she slowly brought a hand to her head as she tried to wrap her mind around what she'd just heard. Then that hand on her head balled into a fist, right as the warning klaxons sounded. The shutters began to descend as Meryet stormed across the room towards the girl.

Caelina gasped as Meryet's armored hand wrapped around her throat and lifted her up. "You're telling me that I can't save her?" she asked madly, "You're telling me that no matter how hard I try, I can't do anything?!"

She shut her eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath. Caelina squirmed in her hands, for Meryet was squeezing the life out of her. When the dark-haired girl's eyes opened again, they were full of a life previously missing. "You're a coward." She spat, "Just a coward. You don't understand my determination. I'll do anything to save her, to save Alicia!"

Meryet stared deep into the eyes that life was quickly draining from. "It's not even about what I think is right. If she wants to find the truth, then I'll go along with her, but I won't let anyone else take her, because I know that they'll want to hurt her!" The body hit the ground with a hard thud as Meryet turned away in disgust, with tears dripping down her cheeks. "I'll keep searching till I find her. I won't give up." She looked over her shoulder, "You've just given up on everything, haven't you?"

The silence lasted for a minute, then kept dragging on without the slightest disturbance. Eventually, Caelina just started to chuckle. Slowly, she pushed herself to sit up, barely managing to stay upright, but kept that pained smile on her face. "It's you who doesn't get it." Her eyes met Meryet's, and in that moment they were both shocked as the vessel ripped open the walls of reality and slid into the warp. Massive waves of pain hit both girls, Meryet stumbling back and Caelina merely shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth. For a brief instant, a thousand voices echoed in their minds, but then all faded into silence once more.

Caelina continued as though nothing occurred, saying, "Meryet, they killed people I knew. People who were close to me. People I cared for, people I loved. They killed them, effortlessly, and I didn't even receive the mercy of learning why." She almost started crying again as she explained, "At least you know why they stole Alicia. I don't get to understand why they murdered so many of my comrades, only that there was nothing I could have done to save any of them."

Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and the three-hundred and sixty-one year old girl put her head in between them. "Really, I just pretend to be so mysterious and strange because I don't want to admit that I'm scared. Scared that one day those girls might target my existence for elimination, only to fade away into non-existence as the records of them disappear." She stared down at the floor in between her knees, and whispered, "If, even now, you still desire to challenge them, then you're either awfully brave or awfully foolish." Caelina sighed, "I knew a girl like you, all those years back."

Slowly, she got to her feet and stared at the closed shutters. A different demeanor came over her, and she looked a bit happier than before, but she still spoke slowly and her words were not without sadness, "I'm sorry for all that, Meryet. I'm scared but…if you really want to then…then I'll do what I can to help you."

Meryet shakily reached out, but grasped Caelina's hand. "Has it really been three hundred years of terror?" she wondered.

The captain was hesitant, "Sometimes, I really can't say myself." Her voice was solemn, but not entirely consumed by despair. "I'm scared of them but…the fear isn't always there." She looked at Meryet, uncertainty in her expression, "Someday, you might understand what I'm speaking of, or someday, you'll have overcome it." Caelina found herself clenching Meryet's hand tightly, as though it was the only thing saving her. "But until the day I die, I'll never forget those…" She shut her eyes and smiled as though remembering a fond moment long ago, "Those ghosts." The captain nodded, "That's what we called them, ghosts."

* * *

Columbine wasn't sure if "throne room" was the right term to use. Though the high-backed seat was certainly a throne of sorts, and the room was wider than others in the building, it didn't seem fit for a large audience. Indeed, the balcony that sat through the door behind the throne made it seem more like a personal lounge, albeit a strange one.

A trio of chairs sat on that balcony, which were occupied by Columbine, Ushio, and Vlasta. Cherepia reclined against the railing to face the rest, with the occasional glance behind her to look out at the expansive city below the mountain that the mansion sat upon, which sloped down from the hills to give way to a sea that went all the way to the distant horizon. It was late in the day, and the sky was turning a brilliant burnt orange with the setting of the sun. Columbine's arm was fully regenerated at this point, but she still slumped in her chair, a sort of melancholy air around her.

"I've always wondered," Cherepia said, no particular subject having been established for the conversation Vlasta invited them to. "Why is it that worlds like this can exist, even thrive, right next to the Imperium?"

Vlasta just smirked, as though this planet was a testament to her ability. "These days, for a long time now in truth, people desire protection. But, it's only human to seek the freedom of choice." She explained, "I do rule this world, but I don't seek to tyrannize my subjects. The Imperium is a big place, and that leads to certain facts of existence there. People who don't believe in that Goddess, people who want more freedom, people who want something different for once, they all come to worlds like this. Traders, especially those rogue ones, provide the commerce and wealth, and self-sustaining economies form eventually. Magical girls too, so the Imperium knows better than to try and fight for these places. We won't threaten them, and they won't threaten us, simple enough." Vlasta shrugged, "In all honesty, I don't dislike the Goddess, I even think of her myself some times. But here I am, seen as a traitor nonetheless. Sometimes I feel like the actual worshippers of the chaos gods are more a liability than anything," She glanced to Ushio, "No offense, of course."

The girl had a thin ponytail of dark blue hair, and was dressed in a dark black suit with a long indigo coat worn over it. Her gloved hand supported her slumped head as she leaned over the table. A glass of wine sat mostly untouched in front of her. She looked at Columbine, "Are you alright?" She wondered.

Columbine shifted in her chair, shame still obvious on her face. "I'm sorry for bringing this whole mess here." She said quietly, though Ushio gave her a look that told her such talk wasn't necessary.

Vlasta made a gesture of indifference. "I lost a few girls, plenty of cubes were lost, and there's a sizable gap in orbit, but Sifras Astikai is dead, and that was quite a show she put on. More importantly, not too many died, and I also got to tell a Blood Angels captain, one quite old as well, to get out of my system." She smiled, "So I'm pleased in the end."

Columbine just nodded a little. Ushio just laid her hand on the girl's, and gently interlaced their fingers. "Where do you intend to go from here?" Vlasta wondered, "I can give you a ship, we're still friends even though it's been a while. And I'm sure I can find a crew, it's not like many here are friends of the Inquisition."

Columbine nodded again, in a repetition of that previous motion. "She's a bit overwhelmed right now," Ushio said carefully, "Just let her think, if you could."

Vlasta gave a short nod in reply, "My apologies," She said.

Cherepia sighed, "That was far too much excitement for a few weeks. Hopefully things will calm down for just a little while," She glanced over her shoulder, and gazed at the setting sun.

A moment of nothing but silence, and Cherepia shut her eyes, a peaceful expression coming onto her face. Suddenly Columbine would interrupt the silence, "Did you know?" she asked.

Cherepia took a deep breath. Her eyes opened as she exhaled, but she didn't look back at the girl. "You wouldn't have believed me.." She turned her head now to meet the girl's eyes, "There's nothing you could have done to avert that, Columbine. She genuinely was your friend and comrade, but was prepared from the start to cast all that aside for her mission."

"When?" Columbine almost demanded it angrily, "When did you know?"

"Shortly after I joined you all on the _Wellgunde._ " Cherepia explained, "She was far too intimate with them. The kind of air that suggests that either she's good at lying, or she's already one of them. In either case, she wasn't someone to be trusted, and probably their mole."

Columbine's response was to slowly start crying more and more, till she was once again sobbing uncontrollably. Ushio reacted instantly, and stood from her chair. "She's had enough today, she needs sleep." She pulled the girl up from her chair and looked to Vlasta with a question.

"I've shown you around, make yourself at home," Vlasta said, and waved them off as Ushio took Columbine's hand in her own and started to walk away.

Cherepia looked aside from the sight, feeling somehow responsible for the other's sorrow. But as they crossed the threshold of the door, she called. "Columbine." The blonde and the other turned around to see Cherepia standing straight up. "We'll catch her. We'll make her pay." She promised.

Columbine started to smile, but only burst into further tears, and Ushio quickly led her away. _Thank you,_ the formerly meek girl sent back. Cherepia just smiled, almost sadly.

Vlasta looked slyly at Cherepia as the others left, and after the sound of the throne room doors closing, commented, "You don't seem like a loyal type."

Cherepia confirmed with a grin, "I'm not. Can't even say that I'm loyal to her." She continued after a moment with cheeks tinted a little red, but couldn't that just be the light? "But without her around, I'm not sure what I'd do." The girl smirked, "So I'll just keep stabbing backs for her, that's a joy in and of itself."

* * *

Meryet looked away from the girl before, almost worried to hear any more from her. "These ghosts…" She asked quietly, "Can they be killed?"

Caelina let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know." She was tired, but also sounded relieved to an extent, "From what I've gathered on them, it seems that different ones appear every now and then, and there's some rumors of some being killed but…nothing is clear. We don't even know how many there are, so perhaps they merely rotate posts." Her tone became more formal and serious as she said, "Meryet, I know you'll tell Lucine, but she and you must tell no one else. We don't like people knowing of the existence of these individuals, knowledge of them would do more harm than good."

She strode quietly back over to her chair, and collapsed back into it. The only sound for a few moments was Caelina wiping away her tears, before she whispered, "Ah…three hundred years. It feels so long ago, yet the moment I take a step back and look at the time in between I realize that it was lifetimes ago."

The captain sat up a little and looked at Meryet. "You must feel the same, no?" Then she shook her head, "You should get going. Go see your comrades, they're probably waiting for you."

Meryet hesitated for a few seconds, before she reluctantly nodded. "I will find her." She stated like it was an absolute, undeniable fact. "And I will save her." Then she turned for the door. Right before she exited, Caelina called to her.

She smiled. "And as I said, I'll do everything in my power to help you."

Meryet walked from the room with a face almost entirely without expression. She wasn't entirely sure what to think after all she heard, and knew only that a greater weight than ever before was on her shoulders. _Even if it's just for a little while, can't I just forget it all, let it slip aside?_ Meryet was surprised to find herself posing that question to herself, but she already knew the answer. _I can't, if I do it'd just be giving up on her, giving up on what I just said._ It wasn't without reluctance that she told herself, _I can't, and I won't._ However, the burden on her mind hadn't even been carried for ten minutes, and she felt as though she might burst.

So lost in thought was she that she paid no mind to the sound of footsteps echoing through the short and narrow hall, nor the person who was their source. That girl too was deep enough in concentration that she didn't notice the exit until she almost ran right into Meryet.

Lucine and the other gasped as they found themselves inches away from one another. They looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds of silence, then Lucine broke it by asking, "How was it?"

In a way, Meryet felt like she'd wandered into a different world. She took a deep breath, before reaching out to grab Lucine's hand. As the girl flinched in surprise, Meryet dragged her down the hallway, "We need to talk," she said, desperate to release, to validate, to confirm that what'd she heard wasn't of her own mind's making.

* * *

For the ruler of an entire world, the mansion was quite fitting, despite the modesties taken with the throne room's construction. The quarters bequeathed to Columbine and her compatriots were relatively massive. For girls who spent most of their lives cooped up in the tight quarters of starships, the apartments, with their five expansive and richly-furnished rooms, were more than enough to satisfy them. But despite all this, Columbine could not be shaken from the stupor that had come over her since Ushio ushered her away from the others.

Columbine lay on the bed, looking lifeless. She'd stopped crying some time ago. Ushio sat on the edge of the bed, perhaps wondering how she might cure the other's affliction. Outside, the sun was finally dipping below the horizon, exposing the full breadth of the starry sky and the moon close to fullness.

Ushio opened her mouth, as she had many times. But truthfully, she didn't know what to say. She'd never been one for words, even before she sealed away those memories of long ago. _Columbine always managed to make me feel better._ Ushio looked over her shoulder sadly, _but I can't even pay her back for that._ It was then the girl realized that her glasses were still on.

She reached up and plucked them from her face, examining them with a strange look. They were purely cosmetic and she felt that somehow they weren't very fitting at the moment. The 'new' Ushio had made that choice. She tossed folded them up and tossed them aside, to land on the pillow.

Her hands came to her face and rubbed her tired eyes, but a voice interrupted her. "Why'd you take them off?" whispered the girl lying behind her. Ushio paused, and glanced once more back at the girl.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused by the simple question.

Columbine mumbled something, which Ushio heard to be, "You look better with them on." Ushio just sighed, and reached out for them to stick them back on her face.

"It's the least I can do," She replied. Both girls were out of their armor, in their normal outfits. Though 'normal' is questionably used, for their armor was just as much their homes. Ushio smoothly brought her legs onto the bed and lay down on her side, facing towards Columbine. That girl's eyes were aimed down at the sheets, but Ushio stared at the sockets nonetheless. "You've been told so many times not to blame yourself, but you do anyways." Ushio looked sad, "Do you want to bear such a load?"

"It's the least I can do," Columbine whispered, "After what I did to my mother…" Her knees curled up to her body.

"Your mother?" Ushio was perturbed, then the other girl's face flashed in surprise.

"Ah-I never…" Columbine quickly searched for words to explain, and stammered out, "T-those memories that I hid from you." She sighed and collapsed down from her initial surge of energy and buried her head in her hands. Ushio was about to speak, but Columbine was first and said, "I'll show them to you…"

She reached out to her mind, and began to interconnect herself with Ushio. It got easier every time, and both were entirely accepting of the process. When it was done, Columbine just fell limp, and let Ushio be free to see whatever she desired. Ushio reached out for one of the girl's hands, and took it in both of her own. "You can tell me what to look at, you know?"

Columbine brought one hand away from her face, and then started to show her the most important ones. Ushio held her hand the entire time. Not once did her grip falter.

* * *

The discomfort on Lucine's face had only grown as Meryet had told her what she had heard from Caelina. Meryet finally finished speaking, and collapsed down onto her back. Lying on the soft bed, she stared up at the ceiling in exhaustion. "I honestly don't know what to do anymore." she said in a hushed voice.

Lucine stood beside the bed with her hand sitting on her face in contemplation. She let out a heavy sigh and took a step towards the wall. "This is…" The girl stated as she spun about and leaned back against the metal, "Really something." The usual lightness of her voice had vanished. Lucine crossed her arms, "You don't mean to give up, right?"

"Would you prefer it if I did?" Meryet replied. The girl didn't sound as though she was in despair, and couldn't even be said to be really sad. Fear and anxiety were what made her lay there and speak in subdued tones.

Lucine bit her tongue even as she opened her mouth to speak. She glanced at Meryet before instantly turning away, eyes finding one of the corners of the room as she admitted, "In a way, I do." A finger idly toyed with her silver hair as she added, "I don't want to see you destroy yourself." However, Lucine just shook her head, realizing how neither way was better. "Yet if you give up, that'll destroy you too." A pause, "And I'm not sure which I can save you from better."

Meryet couldn't even come close to a reply for a minute, as she considered what the girl had told her. But in the end, the answer was the same it had always been. "I won't give up on her. That's what I said, and I won't break my promise."

Lucine appeared to be content with that answer. She had expected it, after all. "But…" Meryet continued after a few seconds, "Sometimes, even now, I wonder if things would be better if Alicia never became a knight."

Immediately, Lucine shut her eyes and clamped her lips together. Her opinion wouldn't make anything better. Meryet did pause as she saw the girl's reaction, and though she continued right after, it was with a voice quieter than before, "But I know that wouldn't make anything better. Alicia would still have been taken, and she wouldn't we nearly as brave as she is now." Meryet smiled, "And she wouldn't know that someone will give anything to save her."

Lucine grinned, "Always so virtuous." She said, while her hand came up to her eyes to rub them.

Meryet spoke again as Lucine scrubbed the tiny bits of moisture clear of her eyes, "I'm sorry Lucine, I just…can't understand what you're feeling." She sighed, "I want to, but I just don't understand why you'd wish Alicia worse."

"That's wrong," Lucine denied quietly, "I don't wish Alicia worse. Really, I just lament the fact that there's nothing I can do about this. Because I understand you. I understand wanting to protect someone. That's why I'll never try to convince you to throw away Alicia, because I know precisely what you're feeling."

Meryet nodded, and whispered, "Thank you, for understanding." Lucine said nothing in reply, merely turning her whole body towards the bed and climbing onto it. Meryet didn't struggle as Lucine wrapped her arms around her and laid down on top of her.

"Even if it's against these ghosts, or whatever, I'll be with you." Lucine promised, simultaneously wondering if she could really stay true to what she said.

Meryet lay still for a few seconds, till her arms reached up to hold the girl back. She didn't say anything. Meryet had nothing more to say.

"Let's just rest for a little while," Lucine whispered, "Before you run off and face the whole universe." So they did, for both were tired, and the night was sure to be long but thankfully uneventful.

* * *

Columbine was weeping like a newborn by the time she'd finished. Her knees were pulled up close to her chest, while her head was buried in the pillow beside her. Ushio sat with a gentle smile on her face, hand still holding onto Columbine. Slowly, the last images faded away as Columbine started to try and pull away from Ushio, trying to rip away from the girl's grip.

But Ushio didn't allow that. She kept hanging on, refusing to let her go even as Columbine tried to squirm away. Ushio just smiled at first at the childishness of the sight, then scolded her, "Columbine, do you remember what you told Alicia? That if her friend truly wished to protect her, she'd understand? If your mother really loved you, then she'd understand." But Columbine didn't accept that.

"I missed Ingwe. I missed that Hjalma was Inquisition. I missed everything." She mumbled, "I'm a failure of a person."

Ushio squeezed down tighter, "Columbine, we've both made mistakes, there's no need to be ashamed of yourself. There's no need to hate yourself."

The girl calmed for a moment, but replied with a vague mumble. "I'm a traitor and fool, you were betrayed, by someone you seemed to trust. It's not the same." She insisted. Ushio just sighed. It wasn't an exasperated sigh, more an amused one.

She tugged the girl's arm, trying to pull her. But Columbine remained where she was. Ushio shook her head, almost bursting out into laughter as she grabbed with both hands and forcibly yanked the girl from the bed. Columbine cried out as she fell to the floor. She looked up at Ushio in a mix of confusion and anger, but the girl in the glasses just kept smiling. "Come on," she insisted. Ushio gazed right into Columbine's tearful eyes, and asked, "I trust you, you know? Can't you trust me?"

Columbine realized there was no way to deny it, so she pushed herself to her feet, and let Ushio lead her out to the balcony. "You're not a bad person, Columbine," Ushio said, immediately turning around to face her as they arrived. "I know that, because even when I was nothing to you, you protected me." Her hands reached up and cupped the girl's cheeks, "You gave up on what you wanted, to protect me." Ushio realized she too was about to start crying, "And while you'll yourself that it was for some other selfish reason, I know that you did care, because I've been in your head."

She reached down and grabbed Columbine's hand again, turning to face out at the wilderness surrounding the mansion. Then she pointed her arm up, up at the sky high above them. A dark sky filled with stars and a bright moon. "You see that?" She asked, "This beautiful starry sky?"

A reminiscent smile appeared on her face as Ushio's eyes began to cloud. "When I was young, I looked up to the sky and wondered what secrets it held. That's why I made my wish, to find out all I could about the universe." Her arm wavered, but she didn't stop pointing upwards. "And that wish drove me to plan, develop, and conduct the experiment on Athena."

Ushio's voice dropped into near silence, "To know the true nature of the universe and the realms beyond it. Specifically the warp." Tears slid down her cheeks, almost unseen by Columbine. "Of course, I failed to gain any data, and that was because my dream…the dream that I'd had since I was young, was one destined to bring about ruin."

Finally, her arm dropped down, back to her side. Ushio's eyes followed its path, staring down at the balcony floor as she whispered, "Columbine, my wish led only to despair for so many. But your desire is a righteous one. You became a magical girl to protect people, and that's what you've been doing all along, even if it's not as many people as you would like."

As Ushio finished talking, Columbine felt something amazing, almost like a light clicking on and illuminating her previously dark mind. Ushio turned quickly and grabbed the girl by her collar, and Columbine gasped as she did so. Partially from the act itself, but mostly from the realization in her own mind. _I do want to protect people and…I did that for Ushio. She…she is right…_ For some reason, it felt wrong admitting that, as though it would deny her own guilt. But she accepted it, because she knew Ushio wouldn't lie to her.

Columbine thought this even as Ushio cried out, "So don't act like you're worse than me. Don't act like you're more of a failure, don't act like you have some great weight on your shoulders." Ushio smiled. It was a happy smile, not one burdened with sadness or pain. "I'm the one, alright? I'm the one who'll carry it all. You just keep on protecting people, like you've always wanted to."

But those words only made Columbine look more frightful than before. She shook her head, again and again, as Ushio failed to understand. "Don't tell me," Columbine stammered out, "Don't tell me that you'll only exist to finish what you started, to end Athena's legacy…"

Ushio's face lit up with surprise, before Columbine continued, "I can't imagine living without you, even though it's been such a short time since we properly met." She tightened her own grip on Ushio's hand, "So I'll let go of my regret, but only if you agree to keep on living, without any regrets of your own."

Ushio just stepped in and embraced Columbine. "Don't worry," She whispered, "Ever since I started to regain my memories, I was prepared to shoulder anything that they might unveil. In truth, if I were to lose you to despair, I'd regret that more than anything I've done. As for the Ushio you knew…well, the Ushio you knew is still me, and she's a part of me that I can never lose, but neither is the Ushio that I was."

Columbine's arms came up to return the hug, "I don't mind either Ushio. From what I've seen, both are someone I'd gladly be with." She whispered.

Ushio looked up once more at the night sky. For a moment her eyes twinkled with longing, then she looked back to Columbine. It was without hesitation that she settled on the latter. "That's good," she said, almost frightened, "Because I need someone to protect me from my own wish, lest it come back around to kill me."

The blonde just smiled, "You should know your magic theory, you idiot. You've caused so much despair that yourself can only feel hope." She told her in a half-humorous voice. Columbine's voice dropped low once more as she promised, "And I won't ever allow you to be overcome with despair." The two stood in the embrace for a minute more, neither really wanting to leave, despite knowing that there existed nothing else in the moment that could pull the two apart from each other.

Ushio was the one to step away first, her reason soon clear as she asked with a bit of humor in her voice, "Are you still afraid of sleeping?"

Columbine sighed, "Perhaps now, more than ever before." She said, and Ushio realized quickly she was serious. Taking the girl's hand once again, she walked back inside.

Ushio wondered in a hushed voice as she stood beside the bed, "You trusted me back then. Don't tell me the Ushio now isn't good enough to help you sleep?"

Columbine blushed, and then stammered, "W-well, I see no problem with it." A moment, and she said nearly inaudibly, "Really…I can, as long as you're there." She left unsaid _I can do anything, as long as you're there._

Ushio herself was surprised by the other's tone, and as her hand came to pointlessly adjust her glasses, she insisted, "Come on, then."

Minutes later, Columbine found herself in a state of calm she'd never expected to be in. For once, she felt entirely relaxed, without the slightest fear in her heart. She was at peace, and the world around her seemed to be the same. Feeling Ushio shift beside her, she whispered, "Never leave me, alright?"

Ushio had no problem agreeing to that, "Just never leave me." She requested, arms wrapping around the girl without the slightest complaint. Neither felt a hint of fear of promising such things. If they'd been through what they had been and survived, something would ensure that they'd be together till the very end. Soon, both fell into a peaceful sleep. Perhaps the most peaceful and fulfilling in either of their long lives.

* * *

 **In Her Holy Majesty's should pick up again this week.**


	22. A Strange Sort of Normalcy

Thousands of years have given the Adeptus Magica plenty of time to develop and perfect training regimens for new knights. Understand that the process laid out ahead of you has been developed over the course of millennia by some of the greatest names in the field, so while ultimately the freedom is yours, it is in the best interests of everyone involved to keep this guide in mind at all times.

-Excerpt from _Forged in Battle,_ by the Adeptus Magica Knight Training Committee

* * *

As expected, human casualties were medium. We lost two girls to an unlucky ambush, but the casualties inflicted on the enemy were overwhelmingly massive. I believe a complete penetration of the Ilusoc Pocket has been accomplished, and we will proceed to press the advantage until further notice. I understand that orbital supremacy has yet to be secured, but for another several hundred kilometers we don't need to worry about the potential of long-distance orbital bombardment. I am ordering General Layley to hold his position, and prevent any attempt to close the pocket behind us once the 4th company advances. With any luck, we'll be in Kinderel in about a week's time. Based on clairvoyant reports, we expect to face somewhere around 150,000 soldiers, plus the expected armored and artillery support. We've no rookies, so the operation should go smoothly, and if we can roll into the capital and catch the traitor knights while they're still recovering from the ambush at Mindia, the planet should be in our hands in two weeks.

Unless the overall situation of the Crusade changes, I'll be following the established strategic plan once that is accomplished. Please inform me of any changes.

-Report from Captain Quirina Soares, Lifewardens 3rd Company, to Vangleic Crusade Central Command. M41.451

* * *

Nobody waking up that morning had any pretense that things would be the same as before. We all looked at ourselves differently, looked at each other differently, looked at the world differently. I like to think that all of us still wanted to wake up that morning, rather than sleep forever and abandon an increasingly cruel world but I can only speak for Aurelia and myself.

And I say with complete confidence that both of us were willing to face the future, though it might not have been something that excited us. At least the further-away future. For in the present, we did have time to relax. It's to the credit of Germana and her training that despite her words the previous night, we all woke up as though nothing had been canceled.

Which left some in an awkward. For none of us knew what to do. We had to stay in the camp, but there wasn't anything to be done there, save sit around and wait for tomorrow. There was of course the opportunity to contemplate the true nature of our existences, but I don't think any of us were looking to spend a day doing that.

Nevertheless, that was exactly how the morning was passed.

The pairs all found some corner to sit in and contemplate things, though a few choose not to dwell on more serious matters. I can't blame them, honestly. Though I was with Aurelia, and our promises had already been exchanged, tackling the overwhelming _reality_ of it all was an arduous task.

We sat beside one another in the middle of that grassy field we knew so well. Considering that barely two weeks had passed since that first night was an astonishing thing. But somehow, it'd stopped feeling strange. In fact, thinking of a life without all of this was starting to become the strange thing.

"What do you think they're all thinking about?" Aurelia wondered. The question wasn't directed right at me, I could tell, it was more a random thought given voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, "Of course it's about what we learned, but what do you mean?"

Aurelia pursued her lips, "I suppose I wonder what makes them scared of the idea. If they're scared of becoming a witch, then they must have some cause to despair." She explained, then said, "I wonder what that cause is."

I nodded in understanding, but pointed out, "We don't really know anyone very well, I don't see how we ought to be able to guess at their inner workings."

"You know people," Aurelia countered. She wasn't wrong. Priscilla and Mariana had gone off on their own, and neither of us had seen them since we woke up this morning. I hoped that the two of them were taking this well, though I imagine that the latter would be more worried than the former, and only for Priscilla's sake, not her own.

"I do, but they don't like me talking about them, so I don't like talking about them," I explained.

Aurelia nodded, "I suppose we don't really have an idea of anyone else here. Strange, given that we'll be fighting alongside them one day."

"It's been two weeks out of one hundred and fifty-six," I reminded her, "I think we'll get to know them soon enough."

She thought on those numbers for a few seconds, "We still have a long ways to go, don't we?" Aurelia asked rhetorically.

"I guess we do," I'd never considered it myself. Despite all that had happened, it really had been barely fifteen days.

Aurelia grinned, "I guess we haven't learned much about anything yet, have we? I don't think we'd fair too well on those battlefields out there."

I had to agree, "I'm not rushing to be fighting, either." We were both content with the way things were. Back then, I doubted that would change, and at least in that case, I was correct.

* * *

Apparently Germana herself had the same line of thought as Aurelia, for later that day we were effectively ordered to sit with the rest of our squad for dinner. I can't say it was exactly an order, but it left little to interpretation.

The tables were big enough for ten to sit comfortably, so there wasn't any trouble actually sitting down. However, we found ourselves rather incapable of starting any conversation. Alliana and Catarina did know everyone to some extent, but otherwise the only connection between pairs was my relationship with Mariana and Priscilla.

"Perhaps we should all introduce ourselves," Catarina suggested. She glanced in my direction, clearly implying that Aurelia and I would be starting.

I instantly froze, only for Aurelia to save me by standing up and saying, "I'm Aurelia Marcella, a clairvoyant." The subtle smirk she gave me wasn't missed, and I silently resolved to somehow outdo her as I stood up.

"I'm Vergiana Laurentia, a telepath." I stated, and after a moment of silence in which I tried and failed to will myself to add something else, I sat down awkwardly. Mariana and Priscilla were on the other side of us, the end of the table, but I imagine Catarina had figured they shouldn't be the ones to start off.

Mariana stood up rather abruptly, and flatly stated, "I'm Mariana Lucilla, a teleporter." She then gestured to Priscilla and started, "This is-"

She was cut off by that girl's voice. "Mariana," Priscilla cut in softly as she stood up. The look of surprise on Mariana's face quickly vanished, and Mariana shot back down to her seat as Priscilla quietly announced, "I'm Priscilla Nieves, a diviner." All of us were surprised to some extent at what had happened, Mariana the most and I just behind her.

For a moment, we forgot that Catarina was supposed to speak next, even the girl herself. So when eyes started to fall on her expectantly, she hurriedly stood up and almost shouted out, "Catarina Aldana, I'm sure you know me already. Analyst."

My finger started quietly tapping against the table, only Aurelia noticing the motion. The awkward beginning had meant the general air wasn't a pleasant one, but still they continued to introduce themselves. "Alliana Labelle," she said, "Ranged specialist." From there, it was onto the girls I didn't previously know.

A darker-skinned girl with a long raven black ponytail stood up, her soul gem visible in the tie that held her hair together. I'd seen her before of course, fighting when we were out hunting the wraiths, but never had a chance to actually pay any attention to her. "Queliana Gosselin, a pyromancer." She announced flatly. Her arms were entirely bare, a rare sight among the elaborate costumes, with her torso covered by a black vest, reaching all the way up to her neck. Below her waist was a pleated black skirt that was longer in the sides than the front and back. The sides ended just above her heels while the front and back terminated just above the knees. She sat back down and crossed her legs, feet wearing boots a much lighter shade of black.

The girl across from her was her partner. Short marigold hair framed her face. She stood up to say. "Tialla Vasile, I'm a biomancer." Her voice was calm, and she seemed confident presenting herself in front of us all. A golden poncho covered her torso and part of her arms, and under it was a honey-colored waistcoat, the sleeves extending all the way to her wrists, leaving her hands bare. Her legs were covered a by long yellow skirt that ended just above her golden heels. Around her neck hung a golden chain to which her golden gem was attached.

At the end of the table, a girl whose very appearance radiated quiet stood up next. Hair the color of iron was tied in a single ponytail draped over her shoulder, she said, "Erika Breiner, melee specialist." A small grey beret sat on her head, while a charcoal-colored cape ended at her waist and went all the way around her body over her arms, and was buttoned up in the middle. Her arms were bare past the elbows, hands covered by short silver gloves. Under the cape was an ash-colored jacket that ended at her elbows. A grey skirt went down to her knees giving way to black leggings and silver combat boots. Her soul gem, a dark charcoal color, was in the shape of a badge of rank on the right side of the cape. She sat back down just as silently as she stood, seemingly without a care in the world, but her red eyes darted from side to side, scanning the world around her.

The next girl seemed just as quiet, but for different reasons, as revealed by her polite voice. "I'm Kerilia Volkov, I'm a healer" cheerfully said the girl with short rose-colored hair and brown eyes. Her rose-colored double breasted jacket reached just past her waist, and around her neck was a red scarf, trailing down over the jacket. A white shirt could be glimpsed beneath the jacket, while her hands were covered by gloves of the same bright white. Into the palm of the right glove was sewn her red gem. A ballerina-style ruby skirt covered her legs, and under that white leggings could be seen, while white heels were on her feet. She sat back down, and the table instantly fell into an awkward silence. Knowing each other's names didn't give us a topic of conversation.

Catarina was there once again to save the day, however her voice quickly faded out, "Perhaps…" Despite her stalling, I enjoyed the fact that someone was speaking. "How are you all enjoying this…so far?" She seemed unsure of herself, and I envied the fact that she practically dodged a need to answer the question herself by being the one to ask it.

Tialla instantly outed herself as the most open of us all by responding to the question relatively quickly. "I've been having a good time, all things considered. It's just been two weeks, so I'm sure things will get more exciting eventually."

Then came the part where everyone ran their eyes over everyone else, expecting somebody to break the silence and answer. "Well," Kerilia said, the word merely gaining our attention, "I agree. It hasn't been too interesting, but merely being here is enough for me." I felt that with that, all that could be said had been said.

A glance to the other side revealed that Mariana already had enough of this. Priscilla was pleased to have spoken on her own, however. "Excuse me," A voice I felt directed at me said. I turned my head to see Kerilia looking at both Aurelia and me. "If you don't mind me asking, could you tell me how you two are? A lot has passed between you two, and though I feel I'm intruding, it's merely concern."

My mouth formed an 'o' as I found myself at a loss for words, but Aurelia quickly filled in the gap I left. "We're doing fine. Nothing bad these days." She grinned, "Though I can't say I sympathize with the rest of you. I've had plenty to deal with."

I rolled my eyes as my mouth transformed into tight-lipped smile. Glaring out of the corners of my eyes at the girl, Aurelia just grinned in response. "Really though," Queliana asked dryly, "What did motivate you two to beat each half to death?"

Before I could shout out in denial, Aurelia clearly stated, "That we won't discuss." She raised her eyebrows at me, knowing what I had expected of her. Meanwhile, I could almost feel Mariana's distress beside me, certainly worried that the personal topics being discussed would lead to her being questioned.

"The sergeant said that there's always at least one pair who's all dramatic," Tialla commented.

"When did she say that?!" I cried, face twisted in surprise.

Alliana stated flatly, "When you two were in the…" Her tone suddenly broke. "The witch's labyrinth, we were talking to her and…" She shook her head. "It's nothing at all." That unfortunate fact being brought up dampened our spirits. The quiet that followed was a bit more fitting than the previous one.

It still lingered on, however. After a minute it would Catarina who broke it, "Dwelling on that won't help anything, nor will it make the reality of it change." She said, "Let's move onto something else." None of us were going to disagree with that.

However, there was still that all too natural desire to share something with others. And what that conversation showed all of us clearly that we were not alone in our fear.

When we had finished, Germana asked if we would listen to her for a few minutes. It wasn't an order, more a question, but we all lined up as we would if she had called us out in her usual bark. She stood before us, appearing to be a little saddened.

"I'm sorry that I was unable to properly prepare you for what you learned last night," she whispered, "There are some who prefer death over such a fate, and I'm glad that none of you are among them. But I should have ensured no one would get into trouble. It wasn't Vergiana and Aurelia's fault, it was mine."

The sergeant took a deep breath, "That being said, we will resume our normal schedule tomorrow. I trust that all of are at least coping with this, I can assure you it gets better with time." No one doubted that she wasn't speaking from experience. I was sure she had plenty of familiarity with this sort of thing.

"I can assure you for that as long as you are here, I won't allow you to face that end. And for as long as you're out there, as long as someone is by your side, you won't need to worry either."

A few seconds, then she said, "Until tomorrow morning, you're still free. The Goddess Protects." The girl turned around and started to walk away with any further words, and that was enough to tell us we were dismissed.

Once more, we found ourselves at a loss as to what to do. But more and more, I was starting to feel quite a bit better.

* * *

All things considered, the next week was uneventful. Nothing new or unexpected happened, but that was all too welcome after the last weekend. That week passed by quickly. We were pushed a bit faster to ensure we caught up to the schedule, but it wasn't anything terrible.

Germana explained that we would be running through a dozen different martial arts systems, each one different in key ways, over the course of the next year and a month. What was already input into our heads was merely a series of basics, nothing complex. But at the beginning of every month, the new information would be put in, and then we'd spend the month actually applying it and adapting our bodies to using it. Furthermore, we were informed that the entire reason our relatively weak bodies were capable of doing all of this in the first place was due to further mental programming conducted during the sessions with Liliana, to slowly increase the abilities of our muscles.

"In five months, even before we get to the actual body modifications, you'll be able to outfight most humans," Germana promised, and I had no reason to doubt her.

* * *

We were able to experience a bit of that first hand at the end of that third week. Previously, we hadn't sparred since that first day. The sergeant apparently didn't trust us with each other's wellbeing. "Simply," She explained, "The whole reason we're practicing this stuff is so that you can learn to use it. If you don't know how to use it, then you certainly won't know how to use it properly in cases like this. Therefore, we're going to wait a little while."

So we were expecting something interesting that weekend, for she had promised it would be then. After lunch, clouds had returned from the previous day to block off the sun, and we were lined up outside in a loose formation that gave us plenty of room.

Each with our partners, Germana laid down the rules clearly. "Listen, your lives are important. Our goal isn't to kill you. Therefore, if at any point either person calls for it, then you will cease. I would prefer that you fight until incapacitation, but please do not do anything stupid. I _will_ stop you if you try." With that, she sighed and waved her hand, "Go ahead whenever you're ready. Somebody throw the first punch."

Aurelia and I grinned at each other, though her confident demeanor was a sharp contrast to my worry. "Well," she commented, "This shouldn't be too difficult."

My expression changed to a frown, "Just because we fought once doesn't mean it's easy to do it again."

"It was two weeks ago that we fought," Aurelia pointed out, then asked smugly, "Is it really that hard to recall the emotions?"

"It's more that I don't want to hit you." I explained, "After I ran down a hill in the middle of the night with your dead body, it's a bit hard to bring me to fight you." I had barely finished the sentence before she was moving, and I had barely begun to react before her fist hit me in the gut.

"Does that make it simpler?" I should have been worried by the fact that she took some pleasure from that strike, but it wasn't as though I was without such feelings. My arm came up to block the next to the side, but she stepped away from my other arm's counter. "See?" Aurelia mocked, though I knew it was in good humor.

I was surprised as to how much I had changed in just two weeks. Of course, Aurelia had changed too. But I found myself doing things that I had never considered before. A smooth parry of one hit preceded my first flying back into her face, only for her to grab my hand and pull me into a punch of her own. Even as she swung her whole body into the right punch towards my gut, I dropped my weight into a block to stop the strike. From there my right leg lifted up as I pivoted to send a kick towards Aurelia.

Taking the strike to her left arm, she stumbled back, only to rush back in as my leg lowered. As I regained my footing I pushed myself forwards, arms crossed. Though I forced her back and prevented things from getting worse, I did take another strike to the gut that could have been avoided. A faint with her right did nothing, but the follow-up from the left was also a trick.

Then her right leg snapped towards my left knee, which was in front. I stumbled as the blow hit my mostly unbent knee, and Aurelia immediately followed with a straight punch to my chest from her left first and then a brutal uppercut with her right. Pushing through the pain, I tried to react and as she turned her body to slam a right side kick into my stomach, I moved into the kick and wrapped both arms around her foot. Keeping up my forwards momentum even after the blow, Aurelia's arms waved as she tried to maintain her balance, but I succeeded in pushing her over.

Seeking to immediately capitalize I stepped over before going down and dropping my knee into her stomach. She barely caught my fist before it slammed into her face, and sought to throw me off of her, legs flailing at the same time, but my left first struck her face anyways. Aurelia pulled me in with her left and then hit with her right knuckles to my neck.

Gagging for a moment, she was able to push me back and send another kick into my chest. We both stumbled to our feet about the same time, our bodies roaring in pain and faces bloodied. Though around us others were fighting just as hard, we didn't notice them. At the moment, it was just the two of us.

Both of us were on our last legs. If the next exchange alone didn't decide it, we'd probably collapse. Aurelia slid forwards, faking a left jab, only to dart out again, but I hadn't moved for it. Then she switched her feet and stepped in again, this time reverting her stance after a quick jab to send a spinning roundhouse kick towards my head.

I bore the attack on my left arm, and swung my own foot in low at her left leg, alone on the ground. Aurelia took the hit right as she was bringing her leg back to the ground, and stumbled in my direction. Already dazed, I fell down onto my back, with her atop me.

We were too tired and wounded to get up after that. Our training meant that we were far better at utilizing our bodies to do damage, even if our actual physical strength hadn't increased by much, and without the passion that had guided us weeks ago, there wasn't much reason to keep going.

Aurelia slowly got herself up off of me, and sighed, "Well that was fun," she groaned, before rolling onto her back beside me. To either side we looked, watching the others involved in their own fights, or recovering.

Mariana was currently a bloodied mess being cradled by Priscilla, for it appeared that she preferred to let the girl just practice on her rather than do a single thing to harm her. Alliana was in the process of bowing to Catarina, the latter girl on the ground grabbing at the knee that must have blown out. Tialla was breathing hard as she clutched at her gut, while Queliana was slowly settling down to the ground to rest. Everyone's gazes, at least in our squad, were starting to turn to the last two members.

Erike in her silence had always given off an uncomfortable air. When accompanied with how natural her movements appeared to be in practice, the current sight made more sense than we wanted to admit. Kerilia was just dropping to her knees, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she fell limp to the ground. Her face was bloodied, but based on how Erika had been standing it was clear that the girl had been choked.

The silver-haired girl appeared to be a bit surprised herself, but narrowed her eyes upon seeing us staring back at her. Behind us, the second squad finished their sparring, and soon Germana was walking over to assess us. Erike was the only melee specialist out of the twenty of us, so she was the one to receive the most praise. Kerilia woke up after about a minute, suddenly awakening to see us all staring at her.

She shot a fearful glance at Erike for a moment, but Germana just shook her head. "I don't think it was personal." The sergeant assured her, "I told everyone to go until one side was incapacitated. She just went all the way." The wounds on the girl's face were certainly severe, but it wasn't anything that magic couldn't fix.

Of course, all of us were quite injured in some manner. Even just the blows to my face had put me in a daze for a minute, but I could already feel myself healing. "That was good," Germana commented, "I think you can all see how far you've come in two weeks." I could, but at the same time I didn't see how this would help me on a distant battlefield against xenos twice my size. "In fifty more, it'll be as though you spent a lifetime training." Germana made a motion with her hand, calling for us to stand up. "Come on," she ordered, "Day's not over yet."

I wasn't the only who groaned as we followed the order.

* * *

If anyone was still in pain several hours later, it was faint. Most of our wounds were healed entirely, with only the more severely injured like Kerilia still recovering. True to Germana's words, we hadn't even slowed our training throughout the afternoon, so dinner was all too welcome.

Germana wanted us to sit together at least few times every weekend, but otherwise we were free to sit wherever. This time, strangely enough, eating with the rest of them didn't feel as awkward as it did that first day, or even earlier that day at breakfast.

However, there was the one awkward question that we all had in our minds yet were collectively unsure as to how to broach it. Erike was quiet as usual, but not in her own world as revealed by the occasional glances at the rest of us. I had already removed myself as a possible asker, I figured Priscilla wouldn't and Mariana didn't care. Aurelia might, and it was possible Queliana, Tialla, or Kerilia could too, but I figured that it would be one of glues that held us together, Catarina or Alliana, who would be the one to speak in the end.

"So why are you so good at fighting?" Catarina asked the silent girl, "If you don't mind me asking, that is." Erike glanced at her out of the corners of her eyes, then sighed.

"I don't know exactly," She explained, apparently not at all troubled by the question, "I think it's the fact that I'm a melee specialist. I have no specific magic ability, so my ability to fight has improved as a result." Across from her, Kerilia was quiet, not quite as talkative as she had been on previous days.

Other than that, little had changed. Other than the display of Erike's excellence, there wasn't anything to be surprised about with each other. "We're certainly different, aren't we?" Queliana thought out loud, giving voice to what had changed. "A few weeks ago I barely knew how to punch straight."

"I find it enjoyable, learning all this." Alliana said, before she grinned rather proudly, with Catarina the target. That girl just shrugged, unfazed. As far as I knew, their argument had yet to be resolved. I doubted it would be for a while. It seemed to breed a solid friendship, for whatever reason. Though I shouldn't have been confused given my own experience.

Tialla spoke next, asking Alliana and Catarina, "You two are still arguing right? Will you ever get over it?" The two chuckled in response to that question.

Catarina shrugged, "I doubt it," she said half-jokingly, continuing, "And besides, it's become almost fun."

"I haven't noticed anything," Queliana commented, then wondered, " _When_ are you two even arguing?"

"Telepathically, sometimes," Alliana explained, "Otherwise we sometimes do it at meals. I have to say that it's calmed down."

"So you _are_ coming to an agreement?" Aurelia cut in, eyebrows raised.

Catarina shook her head, "I wouldn't say that. More like we're coming to terms with our disagreement." She grinned as she explained. Then she cocked her head to the side and wondered, "You two have no conflict anymore?"

Aurelia and I looked at each other. We just stared for a few seconds, both a bit confused as to whether or not we did. I wanted to say 'no', but was unsure, and I imagined Aurelia was in the same state. "Uh-" We both started to respond at the same time, and immediately paused so that the other might talk.

Amidst the laughter of the others, Aurelia took the lead and said, "I think we're alright."

"It does seem that way, you're right," Alliana observed as I tried as hard I could to direct my gaze away from anyone else. Of course, it was the most obvious movement possible, and they didn't hesitate to jab at me for it.

"Something wrong?" Queliana asked.

Tialla chimed in, "We've already accepted Mariana and Priscilla, no need-"

"Shut up!" Mariana barked suddenly, as though merely mentioning the two of them was an offense. It was a second before we realized Aurelia had same the same thing, albeit quieter, at the same time. We all stared at one another with faces ranging from shock to amusement.

For a moment we feared the following awkwardness, till Priscilla spoke to Mariana, "There's no need to be like that." Mariana nodded in apology, and turned away from the rest. Those two were changing. Although the rest of us weren't privy to anything that happened with them, it was obvious.

I noticed that Kerilia had yet to say a word, but then again so had I. That changed right then, as Queliana pushed, "Don't worry, Vergiana, we won't judge." Aurelia shot a glare at her, more for her own sake than mine, but I could appreciate the gesture to some extent.

"There's nothing between us but friendship," I said matter-of-factly as I looked at Queliana. I wasn't lying, and it appeared that she understood that. As I said that, we heard Germana's voice calling us once again. We were hurrying before she was even finished.

* * *

It was all too satisfying to finally slip into a sort of norm. However, for me and the other telepath, something did change. It was the end of the fourth week which was the end of the first month. At first seemingly a major event, before we realized that thirty-six still remained. Partway through the day, right after lunch, we were called by Liliana to her office. It was quite similar to Germana's, although there was a noticeable difference. Compared to that girl's generally blander room, the telepath's was decorated with a variety of works of art, some of a style that I had never before seen.

Whether the girl was well-traveled or had incredible channels I couldn't know, but her words attracted my attention away from the artwork that covered the walls. "Please sit," she gestured to the three soft chairs around a small table. One was larger than the other two, so the two of us sat down in those, looking expectantly at the knight.

Since the other trainee was in the other squad, we hadn't spoken at all. We'd seen each other, and she was fully aware of the drama between Aurelia and myself, but we knew nothing more about each other. I didn't stare at her, but I knew the glances of observation were being returned in kind. She had straight dark hair that ended just above her neck, with hazel brown eyes. The girl, Francesca was her name, wore a long dark jacket with large sleeves too wide for her arms and long coattails. Her hands were bare, while a short skirt was mostly concealed by the edge of the coat, which gave way to legs clad in black stockings and feet in neat dark shoes, small blue bows tied on the front.

Liliana stood beside her chair for a few seconds, seemingly amused with our glances at each other. She began abruptly, but her merely speaking called us entirely to attention. "Telepathy is somewhat different from other types of magic. While shield generator, teleportation, and so on are all skills that must be practiced, they are not as intensive as telepathy when it comes to that." She sat down in her chair, hand reaching to her armored chest, and with a glow extracting her gem. "By merely contracting we gain the ability to expand our minds to incredible levels. Theoretically our mental capacity is limitless. But we can only use that mental capacity inside our own minds. Telepathy gives one the power to affect other minds. Therefore, in order to properly train and practice one's telepathy, one's mental capability must be trained as well, earlier than the rest, for the sake of ensuring that the telepath is prepared for actual combat when the time comes."

She paused a second to let us sort through all that, before she continued. "So every two weeks, we'll meet here so that I may assist in your development. In terms of magically-enhanced mental ability, the others won't be starting for about a year. Simply, we must focus on one thing at a time, and physical ability is the best place to start, practice has shown. However, as I explained, we don't have the time when it comes to telepaths."

I nodded, getting the general idea even if I had no idea what she really meant by mental modifications. Francesca felt the same way. "If you've no questions, then I'd like to get started immediately," Liliana said, then after a moment of waiting, requested, "Please, your gems in egg form. It's a bit easier if you have a direct focus."

With swirls of light the gems were in our palms, and I wondered if what I was going to experience would be like what I felt back when I had tried to read minds. "You probably already experienced something like this when you first contracted. Telepathy has a tendency to go out of control when first received, but rarely does anyone die from it."

I was shocked by the implication, but it was Francesca who voiced it, "Have they died?"

Liliana nodded regretfully, "Unfortunately, yes. We can't control who receives what magic and…the Incubators only do so much. We can only assume the Goddess has mercy on those lost."

"They turned into witches, right?" I blurted out. Again, a nod.

"If there was something we could do to stop it, I assure you we would. However, such a case is incredibly rare, they only happen once every fifty years or so, at least around here in the Sfera Vita." The knight explained sadly. An instant later she was brightening up again, a truly strange sight, and sad, "Well then, let's begin."

Francesca and I were still recovering from the surprise, but moving forwards would be the best choice to overcome that. We nodded, and Liliana began, "If you merely will it, you will find yourself reaching out towards another's mind. The difference between that and where I want you two to reach, is that you can't control that reach. You can merely extend yourself in the direction of a mind, you can't go anywhere else, and must return to the confines of your own consciousness when you stop." The girl explained, "Once your training is complete, you'll be able to freely control your mind, and where you are extending it to. With that, you can properly function as a telepath."

The two of us could only stare at her in wonder. I at least had experienced what she had talked about, and I could only assume Francesca had as well. Though it had been frightening, managing to control that power had been amazing, and more than anything I wanted to learn more.

"What I want you to do is to try and reach out towards the other's mind. Just do as you did back then, I'll tell you more once you begin." Liliana ordered. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, Francesca mimicking the motion. It still amazed me how things happened when I willed it, and with only a thought I felt some part of myself reaching outwards. In my head, I set Francesca as the destination, and we both flinched as we felt something else there. I understood Aurelia's dislike of having her mind read, for it instantly felt wrong.

It was the sort of feeling when someone is looking at something you keep secret, but worse because you could _feel_ the eyes pouring over what's close to your heart. Instantly, I recoiled, desiring nothing more than those eyes to stop looking. In the same moment, I found myself pushed from Francesca's mind as relief came to my own heart. Our eyes shot open as we both gasped, surprised by what had just happened.

Liliana chuckled, in the way one would at an old joke they've heard time and time again. "You see," she started, "That's what it feels like when you read someone else's mind so, don't do it on a comrade without a good reason." She paused for a moment, then continued, "What just happened is the second most basic use of telepathy, only behind communication." She explained, "When you read someone's mind, magic particles are taking a fragment of your consciousness and transporting it to the other mind, allowing your minds to interact with one another, thus allowing for data exchange. However, since only a fragment of the reader's mind is taken, that fragment being elements of perception, only data from the target's mind can be transmitted. Without any control, mind reading merely takes what is at the surface of a mind. Going deeper requires effort, and finding anything specific is even harder, for people can control what is present in many layers, even if they can't control the deeper subconscious."

The knight stared on with a light grin as the two of us tried to wrap our heads around that. "Don't worry," Liliana promised, "It gets simpler when you actually start to break down the process and understand what's occurring." I figured that was the case, but what she'd just said didn't start making any more sense. "Now, both of you rejected this observation of your minds, and as a result magic particles forcibly removed the outside influence. Any magical girl is capable of doing this, even some normal humans are, but telepaths can do it the best." She raised up her gem, "Now, what I want you to do is imagine what I just talked about. Magic particles taking a fragment of your perception and moving it outside your body. Shut your eyes and focus, do not select a target for reading. Just try and move yourself outside of your own body."

I did as I was told, taking another deep breath before my eyelids closed. Gem still cradled in my palms, I tried to will my mind out of my body. The actual process is almost indescribable. I merely concentrated on that concept and focused as hard as I could. Several times, my mind automatically assumed a direction of some kind and drifted towards Liliana or Francesca, but I reigned it in before it could do anything, and multiple times I felt something approaching the edges of my conscious. It started to become painful, as though I was forcibly removing this fragment of my mind.

Slowly, I felt something start to budge. I gasped, almost losing my focus as there was a sharp spike of pain, before my perception changed. To my sides, there were…things. I couldn't describe them, I had no idea what they were. All I knew was that something was there. Everything was dark, I couldn't see the slightest bit of the room around me, but I knew these two things were there.

Then another thing appeared, near one of the presences I had previously observed. Tentatively, I reached out to it, just as it reached out to me. It had no distinct shape, just as I did. I couldn't even call what I was seeing a place, I really had no idea what to call it.

Both of us recoiled back as we realized who the other thing was. It was Francesca, and based on that I could only assume that other presence was Liliana. Then something split off from that other one, and approached Francesca and myself. _Hello you two,_ Liliana's voice came into our minds, _congratulations on taking your first steps._

Suddenly, I felt my perception slipping away. Like falling into sleep, one's senses start to dull until they are gone. That's what happened here, my understanding of the world around me sliding away until there was nothing. Then my eyes shot open, and then they shut again. From what I'm told, I immediately toppled to the floor.

* * *

I woke with a start. Instantly I panicked, head turning all around to see where I was, only to find the surroundings familiar. Beside me, Francesca was pulling herself back up onto her chair, and after I calmed myself, I did the same. I found that I was incredibly tired, and frowned as I discovered that I couldn't quite remember what had just happened.

Before I could panic further, Liliana explained, "Both of you just pushed your minds far beyond anything they have ever done before. It only makes sense that you're tired as a consequence. Every time you have this training, you'll be resting for the rest of the day, at least for the first year or so. After that it becomes easier."

It was strange, for I could move my body perfectly fine, there weren't any signs of physical tiredness, I felt. But in terms of perceiving the world around me, everything felt hazy, and the room seemed to spin. "You're bodies weren't actually taxed, but your minds were. Don't worry, you'll be fine tomorrow." Liliana assured us, "Now go on, get some rest."

We nodded, and slowly stood up, struggling to keep our balance. We exited her office and the waiting room beyond, before emerging into the midday sun. Even though summer wasn't too far away, the world didn't feel much warmer. I didn't enjoy the heat, so I didn't mind the cool of the mountains.

"That was certainly an experience," Francesca remarked, probably as an attempt to start a conversation. We hadn't actually spoken a word to each other.

I found it easy to reply, however. "It was," I nodded, "Strange, I never thought I'd be doing anything like that." It was that shared experience that made us as close as this, I knew. But I was happy to have another person to talk to, even if we were only acquaintances at the moment. We made our way back to the rest, only for Germana to send us off to our beds. I waved goodbye to Aurelia, and didn't hesitate to enjoy the break.

* * *

The sound of the door opening woke me. Quickly I sat up, trying to remember when I'd fallen asleep. As I scrambled to grab my shoes and get down, I saw outside. It was dark. I fell backwards with a sigh, realizing I'd slept until our normal bedtime.

"Get out here!" Aurelia shouted, "You're not sitting this out too!" That kicked me into motion as I remembered it was time for the weekly wraith hunt. I leapt down from the bed and ran outside, Aurelia already ahead of me as we headed to the Thunderhawk.

As I caught up, Aurelia turned her head and muttered, "You're lucky, you know."

"You say that," I groaned, "But now I won't be sleeping for the rest of the night." If I napped too long in the day, it was hard for me to sleep at all in the night.

The exhaustion, nothing new for the end of a day, was clear in Aurelia's voice as she snapped, "At least you didn't have to do anything."

"I did do things though," I moaned, "And they were tiring." We hurried up the ramp into the Thunderhawk, taking our seats as the thing immediately lifted off and shot away, before the doors could even start to close.

"Well now we get to do this," Aurelia sighed. The gunship roared as it shattered the sound barrier and kept relentlessly accelerating.

"We have fun, don't tell me you don't," I said as she leaned her head to the side, only to find the wall wasn't such a great rest. A glance to the side considered my shoulder, but she ended up leaning back against the chair.

We did have fun, and though we hadn't quite realized it, our hearts weren't pounding as much as they used to on the way to these hunts.

* * *

Everyone else was already falling into bed the moment they stepped through the door when we returned, but I wasn't as exhausted. Aurelia sighed as she collapsed down while I hesitated by the ladder, "You sure you did anything today?" she asked.

I nodded, "I did." She narrowed her eyes, questioning that. "I did!" I insisted.

"Look," Queliana called to us, "The banter's great and all, but give it a rest till tomorrow, could you?" I climbed up to the top as we simply switched to telepathy as everyone else tried to sleep. It wasn't hard, for there wasn't much to think about besides the next day, and we already knew what that would bring.

 _What did you even do in there?_ Aurelia wondered, keeping herself up for the sake of knowing.

 _Worked on developing my telepathic abilities. Apparently there's a lot I need to know about them, more so than any other ability._ I explained.

 _Ah, learned how to read my mind without me knowing?_ Aurelia jested.

I shook my head, the motion too natural to stop myself, and replied, _not at all. I just learned how to do…something. Like move my mind out of my head, I don't really get it._

 _Sounds interesting,_ Aurelia commented. _Is that why you got to rest?_

 _It is, could barely think afterwards, even though I could walk fine. It was really strange._

 _You're alright now?_ The girl wondered, and I couldn't help but feel a bit warm when I heard the question.

 _I am,_ I confirmed.

 _Good,_ Aurelia said, then, _I need to sleep. Good luck staying up all night. Goodnight._

 _Goodnight,_ I said as I rolled my eyes, and the link was cut off. Soon, I was the only one awake, too refreshed by the nap. Pulling the covers back over me, I resolved to at least rest my head, even if I couldn't sleep.

* * *

It was a few hours later that her voice came to my mind. _Still awake?_ Aurelia wondered. I sent back an affirmation, and heard a yawn from below.

 _Shouldn't you be sleeping?_ I wondered, rather exhausted myself but still unable to sleep for some reason I couldn't fathom.

 _No,_ she said back, _couldn't really._ I could tell there was something more she had to say. _I'm…starting to feel better, I guess._ She said, only after a period of hesitation.

That was surprising to hear. _About…the past?_ I asked, not sure how to respond.

… _Yeah._ It was certainly awkward. Neither of us were good, if one could be good, at opening up, and I wasn't sure what spurred this on. _I'm just feeling content, more and more, with what's going on. Maybe I'm just putting more distance between myself and what I miss but…_ Her voice faded away.

 _That's-_ I stopped myself, suddenly realizing I had nothing to say. I just wasn't sure, to the point where I was embarrassed at my silence. Finally, I said quietly, _that's good._

 _I guess._ Aurelia whispered.

I could tell that she was tired. _Did she stay up waiting to try and talk to me?_ I wondered to myself

I wanted to say something but she spoke first, _how about you?_ I suppressed the surprise I felt and was happy that we were separated by the bunk.

Hastily, I replied, _W-well, I guess it's the same for me._ We were silent for a few seconds, and I decided to speak, both for her sake and mine. _should go to sleep,_ I suggested to the girl. _You sound like you need it._ No attempt was made to deny that. _For real this time, I'll be awake, so you don't need to worry about anything._

She was silent for a moment, then, _fine, goodnight._

 _Goodnight,_ I replied, and hoped that she heeded my words. I laid back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering if sleep would take me too.

* * *

(Note: All unofficial documents used in this record have been included with the consent of the owner or their next of kin.-Chief Librarian Carola Ermacora)

* * *

Sabato 21 Maggio M41.451

The true extent of my ability is as of yet unknown, it seems. I wounded too severely a partner during sparring. It is clear she distrusts me now, I hope to make up for this mistake. She is a good person. The others in the squad, especially based on observations in combat, are all skilled as well. I look forwards to working with them.

-Erike Breiner

* * *

It is a simple law of the universe that opposites attract. As much as it cliché to say so, such a law holds true for humans as well. Do not fear dissension amidst the trainees, not at first. It is only natural, and is actually necessary to ensure that they absolutely trust one another. If conflict brews, do not encourage it, but only act against it if there is actual violence. Even if there is, said violence is generally positive. We do not want to break them, but we do not want to coddle them either.

-Excerpt from _Forged in Battle,_ by the Adeptus Magica Knight Training Committee

* * *

Biomancy is perhaps one of the more horrific types of magic in the universe. Despite its sometimes limited application, when it can be used the effect can be terrifying. Simply put, the magic gives the user control over an organism's body and everything inside it. This can be any living thing, from a blade of grass to a person, but the most terrible use is on a living human. Blood can be boiled in veins, muscles can be stretched and torn, and bones can be contorted, to name a few uses. It is not for the faint of heart. I must say that I am sorry to hear this, Ms. Vasile, but when the Goddess asks you must serve. Good luck, I am sure that you will grow accustomed to your duty.

-Inquisitor Iolanda Vasile, message to Tialla Vasile, 16 Aprile M41.451

* * *

End Chapter 14 of Record


	23. A Walk in the Woods

**And finally this is back. I'll probably return to alternating between this and In Her Holy Majesty's. I don't want to promise specific times, but I'd like to get at least one chapter out for each story every month.**

* * *

Germana didn't need to shout anymore. Our minds were already used to waking up at the right time. Aurelia and I had sometimes ran into each other as I leapt down and she rushed forwards, but she was already used to pausing a second before I descended.

Then we were rushing out, into weather that had made us increasingly reluctant to leave as it had worsened. The ground was covered in several inches of snow, and the thick clouds above showed no signs of breaking, although it wasn't snowing at the moment. We took our positions in line, the cold already chilling us to the bone. Germana stood before us in her armor, all too comfortable.

I could certainly thank Germana for instructing us how to regulate our own body temperatures via magic, even if we learned nothing else about the utilities of our power. It was fairly easy, and it had been keeping us alive, although the constant exercise helped to keep us warm as well.

Our eyes were immediately drawn to what was in front of the sergeant, which we hadn't seen before. It was a table, with wheels at the end of the legs. Upon the long table were exactly twenty rifles, five clips beside each. Their style was an old one, but they looked to be recently made. I didn't know much about weapons, but I thought that they were some kind of archaic bolt-action weapon, maybe remembering them from a museum.

"Good morning, everyone," Germana started. "Some of you may be happy to hear that we'll be doing something different today." She shrugged, "Of course, some of you won't like what we're doing today."

She explained, "Up to this point, we've trained our close-combat abilities. Such skills are vital, but there is a lot more you have to learn. So rather than spring all of that on you all of a sudden in six months, we're going to get the ball rolling now." The sergeant picked up one of the rifles, sliding her finger into the trigger guard and idly spinning the thing around as she spoke, "Today, all of you will pick up one of these rifles. Then, you will have one hour to walk out into the wilderness around this compound, and then you will proceed to hunt down everyone else, the exercise not ending until nineteen people are incapacitated." I had to question the reality of the words I was hearing. I had plenty of experience fighting the wraiths with my sword, but using a normal gun against other people was far out of my understanding.

Don't worry," she said, hand quickly reaching to the table to grab a lone bullet. Bullet wasn't the right word, for they looked different from the average bullet. The cartridge was there, but what should have been the tip was replaced by a small needle. "This needle is coated in a fast-acting toxin. It's not lethal, but it will paralyze a victim. The needle is actually incredibly fragile, it's only barely strong enough to deliver it's payload, and the guns aren't very powerful either." To prove the truthfulness of her words, she slid the round into the chamber, slammed the bolt backwards and forwards, and fired a shot faster than we had time to be scared.

Metal clinked off of something hard, and it was only till Tialla gasped in horror that we realized the shot had fired the needle right at her soul gem. However, there wasn't the slightest trace of damage. "You can't be killed by these things, at least not for good. If you're incredibly unlucky or the shooter is incredibly skilled you could suffer a body death, but that's nothing to worry about, I'm here to monitor in case anything goes wrong." Germana paused, seemingly to think, not giving the slightest moment's consideration to our increasing shock. "Also, don't use your magic, in any way. Liliana is here and will be monitoring your minds, she is stronger than all of you and will stop you if you try. All you have is the gun and the five clips, as well as your own body, so that means no jumping around either. This is entirely conventional." The sergeant added, "Of course, you don't have to use your guns, all I'm asking for is incapacitation. As long as no one dies, you're free to do whatever it takes to win." That didn't make me feel hopeful.

Germana nodded to herself, then announced, "Alright, everybody get a weapon. In ten minutes, the one hour you have to run begins." I was in shock, total shock. I think we all were. It hadn't even been ten minutes since we woke up, and here she was telling us to go out and shoot at each other for an indeterminate amount of time.

However, six months had taught us that complaining wouldn't do any good. The general atmosphere of hesitation was eroded away as first Erike and then a girl from the second squad stepped forwards, followed by others. Aurelia soon moved, and I followed, determined to not let her hold it over me.

I hefted the weapon into my hands, taking care to not lose the ammunition with it. Each of the clips contained six shots. Luckily a belt to carry it on had been provided, and I rested the rifle against the table as I clipped it around my waist. "This will be fun," Aurelia said quietly as she did the same. I glared at her, wondering if it was sarcasm, till I remembered what she fought with.

"Of course," I rolled my eyes and muttered "Just wait till we fight with swords or something."

Aurelia grinned, "You talk like you've already lost."

"Haven't I?" I replied with my eyebrows raised, the question honest. I picked up the rifle and tried to get a feel for carrying it.

She shook her head as she cradled her weapon, "You act like I'm going to hunt you down or something." Upon receiving a questioning gaze from me, Aurelia admitted, "You're not exactly wrong."

I groaned, "Absolutely lovely," I commented, while around us everyone else was finished preparing. However, the sergeant was no liar, and we did have a few minutes left before she'd start us off.

I looked around, finding Mariana and Priscilla standing away from the rest of us, clearly agitated at one another. "What do you think they're arguing about now?" Aurelia wondered.

"Probably Mariana doesn't want Priscilla to get hurt so she wants to just shoot her the moment they walk out, or something like that." I guessed, and Aurelia agreed.

"They make a nice couple," she commented. Their arguments weren't uncommon these days. Priscilla wanted to do more, and Mariana was afraid to let her. They still loved each other more passionately than any emotion I felt, but I know that's precisely why they could get so angry at each other.

Beside us we could hear the idle conversation being made by Catarina and Alliana. That wasn't quite the right word, for they were still wrapped up in their argument, but it was calm enough. For a few months they'd stopped, but things had picked up again when Kerilia mentioned something about what her uncle, a priest, had said once. Nobody cared anymore.

Queliana was busy talking about how she liked the cold, strange given her magic but fate can be quite humorous at times, it seems. Tialla just wanted to be inside, in what couldn't be called warmth but was at least better than the outdoors.

Erike silently practiced aiming her weapon while Kerilia went on about her experience of her other uncle, who was an auxiliary in the Sfera Vita. Her extended family was awfully large.

I sighed, realizing how many people in the unit used ranged weapons. "I'm done for, aren't I?" I asked rhetorically.

"If you win I'll…" Aurelia frowned, realizing she didn't have much to give. I had no idea either, so it was up to her to awkwardly think till she found something to say.

Though that was proving to be fruitless, so I rolled my eyes and threw out, "Kiss my palm and call me milady." Aurelia's face instantly lit up bright red, and I realized what should have been a joke wasn't at all, though I have to wonder what I was thinking before I said it. There were other embarrassing things she could have done, so why that?

In an instant, her expression flipped to a confident smirk, "Fine," she agreed, "If you win, I'll…do that."

It was my turned to blush, but I tried to humor my way through it by joking, "I just put an even bigger target on my head, didn't I?"

"Perhaps," Aurelia admitted, and I could hear the desire to shoot me right then, but our attention was drawn by Germana speaking.

"Well then," Germana said, "All four gates are open. You may go in any direction you like. I don't care how far you go, but know that if you get yourself into trouble I won't come get you until the exercise is over or your gem is approaching the event horizon." We hesitated, till she said, "Go on, clock's ticking."

That got us moving. "Random direction," Aurelia decided, and we both spun at the same time and stopped pointing in different ways. "I'm the better one," She decided, and grabbed my hand to start dragging me off in the direction she'd chosen. I didn't object, as I'd pointed us in the direction of the featureless plateau the Thunderhawk came down on.

In fact, everyone seemed to be drifting in the direction we went, as what we'd seen from the top of the hill we ran up revealed that gate was the one that led to the easiest route to the valley beside the plateau. "Hope we split up at some point," I muttered to Aurelia beside me, as we moved in a loose herd out of the compound, "Else this is going to be awkward."

"How far do you plan on running?" Aurelia wondered. "It's the only way you'll win." I didn't bite at that bait.

I glanced behind myself, seeing Priscilla and Mariana in the rear of the group. They walked side by side, feet in perfect synch with one another. Both were carrying their own rifle in one arm, their hands constantly brushing by each other, but not embracing. I just smiled at the two.

My gaze drifted to Aurelia, who was a foot to my side. For a moment my thoughts went in a direction that I, back then, found very interesting, but I veered away immediately. From the sky, fresh snow was beginning to fall. A few hundred feet ahead, the plateau gave way to a winding slope that led down to the thick forest that surrounded a frozen lake in the middle of the small valley. I could see why this spot was chosen for the training camp, as the picturesque valley was the perfect spot for this sort of exercise. Of course, we could have gone off into the steeper slopes surrounding the camp, but without our magic to help us jump, that would have been too risky.

The group turned to follow the slope of the hill, and I figured that about ten minutes had passed since the beginning. A few had realized this and were already setting out ahead. Erike was already dashing ahead at the same time as another from the second squad, and that started the rest of us moving.

"See you soon," Aurelia winked as everyone began breaking out into sprints, each aiming just a little ways apart from the others.

I tried to come up with a snappy retort, but I failed, and as she started to run, I called after her, "Don't get cocky!" Then I started sprinting on a route diagonal to Aurelia's path. The snow instantly impeded me, but depth decreased at the tree line, and soon I was tearing through the woods, intent on finding some kind of cover before time was up.

I could hear and catch glimpses of others moving through the snowy forest, but we weren't to start for some time. My heart was racing with excitement, and although it wasn't the most intense, it was still so delightful. For while the battles with the wraiths were battles for survival, this was just a game. Somehow, I enjoyed the idea of fighting, and a fight being just a game was still exciting.

There was no way of knowing how much time was left, but I felt that I had covered somewhere around half a mile in my mad dash before I finally slowed down. I collapsed back against a tree, letting myself slide down. The surrounding shrubs, plants that had evolved long ago to withstand the cold conditions of the mountains, did a fine job of concealing me. Any scrutiny would spot the white that stood out against the darker forest but that just gave me an idea. I glanced back around the tree, and saw the landscape slope back upwards just a few hundred feet ahead, the trees ending as it did. Against the snow, I'd be better hidden than in the woods.

I first glanced around the immediate area, checking that I was alone. Although they couldn't shoot me yet, if they followed me then that'd be an issue. As I slowly and quietly made my way towards the slope, I started to realize why that initial hour was given. Not only did it give us time to prepare and ensure the exercise wouldn't be a fifteen minute shooting gallery, but it also meant that we had to think long before we ever started shooting at each other.

A few minutes passed before I made it out onto the snow, but I saw no one else and hoped that no one else saw me. Here and there I could see small patches of greenery, and I approached one such bunch, laying down behind it. To my left, the slope continued upwards until it peaked, several hundred feet away. To my right the slope led back to the forest.

I pressed the rifle, of brown and black coloration, into the snow under me, hoping that it wouldn't be seen. But if one were to merely look past the bush, they would find only slightly discolored ground, and at a distance I would easily be camouflaged. Up close was far less likely, but any extra time I gained would be valuable.

However, the wait before the actual combat started was sure to be a long one, so I tried to settle in. Unfortunately, for as soft as it was, the cold of the snow made it far from comfortable to lay upon. Unwilling to deal with the wet stuff for so long, I slowly sat up, still pressing myself close to the bushes, but giving me a better view of my surroundings.

I wasn't higher than the trees, but the spot did give me a commanding view over this section of the valley. Anyone who came out of the woods would be immediately visible, especially given the fact that only white blended into white. For the time being, I saw no one else, for surely they understood the same thing. I took a deep breath, hugging my arms around myself as I silently observed, waiting for the games to begin.

Although I felt somewhat exposed, especially without the ability to properly observe my surroundings, I was confident in my camouflage and hearing. Furthermore, I hoped that by not going after anyone else, no one would be motivated to come after me. Given my terrible skills at aiming, I knew that staying low would be necessary.

The wait wasn't boring, but the tension that replaced the boredom wasn't exactly preferable. If anything, I just wanted to beat Aurelia. In a fight just between the two of us it would be impossible enough, but with eighteen others I doubted I'd survive to even see her.

I was no expert at keeping time, but about the time I figured that it would begin, a message came to all our minds. _Begin,_ the word came from Germana, and it was instantly followed by three sharp cracks echoing around the valley. The loud sounds made me flinch, and they were followed by three more shots. I couldn't tell the locations, but my heart instantly began to pound. However, the silence that followed was even more unnerving.

Slowly, I came to realize that the entire intention of those shots was to make my heart pound as it did. The following rounds must have been fired by girls frightened, or who thought they had a target. Suddenly another crack, then another. I had no way of knowing what was occurring, and every new shot only shook me up further.

But as long as none of them were near me, which none were, I could at least force myself to stay calm. Yet I knew that I couldn't trust myself to not react in some more visible manner should any sound ring out closer to my location. My hands tightly clutched the rifle, though I knew the only chance I had of actually scoring a hit was a surprise attack.

After some time passed, I began to move in an attempt to distract myself from the random gunshots. Remaining prone I slowly turned myself all the way around to face the other direction, which revealed nothing else. Briefly I considered moving again, till my ears rang suddenly as an especially close shot went off.

I flinched hard enough to disturb the bushes I lay behind, but I regained control of myself as fast as I could and pushed my body against the ground, letting go of my rifle. Nothing was fired at myself, at least as far as I could tell, but I did hear several more shots.

And then I saw someone. Instantly a shiver went down my spine as I grabbed frantically for my weapon. It was Mariana, and though she wasn't coming towards me, she was retreating from the tree line up the slope. After a certain point, all she'd have to do was look in my direction and I could be seen.

Shuddering, I brought my eyes to the rifle sights, and soon the barrel was pointed at her. However, she turned the other way, and started making her way along the slope in the opposite direction from me. _But if I fire now…it's one less person…I might have a chance._ The sights were lined up, but my hands were shaking madly at the very thought of having to pull the trigger.

A loud bang filled my ears, and my arms shook. For a moment I looked wildly for an impact crater, trying to see where the shot had come from. But no one else had fired that shot. It had been me, and as I looked straight ahead I could see that Mariana had already surmised as much.

She spun around and dropped to one knee, the first shot landing a foot to my right. In those moments I considered myself lucky, but in retrospect it is clear that the shot was no actual attempt at eliminating me. It was fired to suppress me, and it certainly did that. I leapt to my feet and ran wildly away, tripping through the snow.

In my life I've seen many men, both on our side and theirs, break and run at the thought of having to fight magical girls. Yet back then, I was the one fleeing in terror, a bullet whizzing past me as I ran along the slope towards the break in the hills.

I heard other people firing, but none of it came towards me. I was an easy target, but that was certainly why they avoided me, for it was obvious that Mariana was the real threat. Still, I took full advantage of that weakness of mine and ran desperately for the slope.

Nothing hit me as I ran, but I was taking no chances. I leapt round the corner and stayed still on the ground, waiting until the sounds of gunfire ceased. My heart was still pounding, feeling as though it was going to explode. I started to crawl along the ground, staying low as I made my way down the slope.

The individual gunshots stopped becoming distinct; all the loud sounds flowed together into a single constant ringing in my ears. Down the slope a ways was a rock sticking up from the snow, and I made my way towards that. The tense descent was slow, but it seemed that everyone else was too busy with their own battles, so I managed to remain relatively calm.

Soon I was in the dubious safety of the rock's cover, and pushed my back against it, keeping my rifle clasped in my hands. I didn't think I could be seen from the top, and if someone did see me I would at least have cover. For a few minutes I waited, struggling to keep cool even though I had no idea who might be coming down the slope towards me.

A small puff of snow to the side came right before the crack of a gun, and I reflexively leapt away from the divot in the snow. From the left side of the slope the shot came, and I took cover behind the rock, bringing my rifle into position.

Another shot cracked against the rock, and I leaned out and fired a snapshot in return. It obviously went wide, but I at least caught sight of the shooter. However, no further shots came at me. I peaked just my head out, and caught sight of the girl lying down in the snow, right before a bullet whizzed by my face.

It would be almost impossible for me to hit her, and she had a better angle on me than I her. I looked to the side, and briefly considered leaping out and trying to get a better position. _If I move, she might get me, but if I stay here, I'll be a sitting duck, even if she's taken out._

I popped my head out and quickly withdrew out, then leapt right as I heard the gunshot. The bullet had already shot past, and I hit the ground several feet away from the rock, scrambling to fire back. My shot went off, but my opponent wasn't cowed. I jumped to the side right as she returned fire, desperately trying to get a good shot. If I could have stabilized myself, I would have had a better chance of hitting her than from behind the rock, but as things were I couldn't even get the bullet within five feet of her.

On the other hand, she was quite capable of that, and right after I fired a bullet stole a few strands of my hair. I was shocked enough that I flinched hard enough to lose my footing and fall over, but that might have saved me as the next bullet whizzed over my back.

In that moment, there was nothing I could do, but ultimately my fate was not in my hands. The girl didn't fire again. Instead, I heard a laugh that I knew well, and I realized that the sound of the gunshot wasn't just off in the distance.

Cheeks bright red, I sat up and glared furiously at the girl at the top of the slope. Rifle still clasped in her hands, she was bent over in a fit of laughter, "What did I tell you about running?" she choked out in between her laughs.

I was embarrassed, humiliated, and furious. Aurelia had saved me just so she could laugh at me. After having been chased all the way to where I was, I wasn't going to let myself get pushed around any more. Grabbing the gun, I took aim and managed to steady myself before she could snap the rifle into position.

A smirk on her face, Aurelia had already taken aim. I felt the bullet cut into my gut, the glass cracking to release the sedative into the wound. In an instant I was tipping over. But I was left with the distinct impression that the gun in my hands had bucked and barked.

There have been many moments of wondrous joy in my life, but to this day this specific one still stands out as one of the most exhilarating. I watched as Aurelia's face changed from a smirk to one of shock, then to horrific realization as her hand clutched at her shoulder. Her knees gave way and she fell to the ground. Had I been able to move, I would have been laughing as hard as I possible could.

The game didn't end for a long time after that, eventually the cleverer, the more accurate, and the stealthier of us all were left, and it would be some time before they brought things to a close. For Aurelia and I, our participation ended lying in the snow, with her only a few feet away from a girl in the second squad.

A new wave of snow began to fall after a short time, so I just relaxed my mind and decided to enjoy the sight. It took longer than the end of the game for my excitement to fade away.

* * *

 _Congratulations to Mia,_ A ranged specialist from the second squad, _come on back,_ Germana ordered. Of course, the sedative hadn't worn off yet. I supposed that was the incentive to win. The rest of us were left lying in the cold, those that were shot first actually having the pleasure of returning sooner.

 _Feel free to speak amongst yourselves,_ Liliana sent, and I could feel the block on my telepathy fading away.

Instantly I projected my mind to Aurelia, laughing as hard as I possibly could. She replied with the telepathic equivalent of plugging her ears and trying to drown out the noise with her own. I only laughed harder. Soon the girl Aurelia had shot stood up and waved goodbye, grinning as she did. As she disappeared back into the tree line, control returned to Aurelia and myself.

I hadn't even been laughing physically for a second when Aurelia shouted, "Shut up!" Her cheeks were glowing red, and I doubted that it was the cold. She stood at the top of the slope as I stumbled up, dragging my rifle behind me as I laughed uncontrollably.

"That does count as a win for me, right?" I chuckled, "You never specified what I had to win."

A look of horror came onto Aurelia's face as she heard that, and immediately she retorted, "Don't even start!"

"I already have," I replied, taking my rifle into my hands as I got up to the top of the hill. Smirking, I suggested, "How about you get it over with right now?"

"You wish," Aurelia muttered.

"I certainly do," I said with a smug grin as we both trudged through the snow. Both of us were tired enough that we could say little more till we returned, but the company was certainly enjoyable.

* * *

For the most part, we made our way back to the training camp two by two and lined up where we usually did, our weapons returned to their cart. We were all tired, but to falter now would invite a chewing out from the sergeant, something we were all too tired of by that point.

And besides, some of us were going to receive it anyways, judging from how she stared at us with the slightest hint of disdain. It might have just been scare tactics, I'd learned that you couldn't be sure with Germana, but I didn't like to assume such happy things.

When we were all in line and had fallen silent, the sergeant took a few steps forwards to stand in her usual position. "There is no such thing as a true defeat, at least here. If you lose, you should have at least learned something from that loss." She grinned, "Today, I hope that quite a few of you have learned something, else the Imperium is in danger."

A few girls chuckled. I wasn't among them. "Plenty of good ideas were had, but plenty of bad ones were as well. I'd like to say that I won't say names, but it's too amusing to not." She continued after giving us only a moment to prepare. "Queliana," she began, staring right at the girl, "What precisely was your rational in breaking from cover and running while under fire?"

It was inevitable that the rest of us turn to her as well, and Germana did nothing to stop us. Caught off guard by the sudden call-out, the girl blushed in embarrassment. She tripped over her words as she rushed to reply, "I-I-um, well, I guess, I…" With a sudden exhalation she said, "I got scared!"

My breath caught in my throat. No one dared make a sound. "Understandable, I imagine this was the first time anyone's ever shot at you, real or not," Germans said, amused at how her calm surprised the rest of us. "That's why we're practicing, so you don't do that on the real battlefield."

"I understand," Queliana said shakily.

"That's all I need you to do at the moment, no need to save the galaxy yet," the sergeant quipped, stepping to her left. She looked ready to speak, but then she just stepped again. Now she was close to me.

I took a deep breath as Germana walked towards me, but she actually stepped in between Aurelia and me. "It's good to see you two have gotten over that spout of hating each other." I was ready for what came next, "Why not try working on your intelligence next?"

 _That was more directed at you,_ Aurelia instantly assured me, and I suppressed a chuckle. Germana's lecturing went on, but I was happy.

* * *

We stumbled through the frozen night towards our quarters, or at least I did. Aurelia was taking pride in the fact that she wasn't as tired as I was. But she was still tired. That girl Erike was leading the ten of us, while her partner was trailing a bit behind her.

"I would have thought she'd win," I said, looking at Erike. After the game, there had been time to talk in between Germana instructing us on how to win a firefight, but it had mostly been Aurelia and I making fun of each other.

"Erike?" Aurelia asked, and shrugged, "She's a melee specialist though, that Mia was ranged. I bet Erike would kill us all in a fistfight though."

As she opened the door, Erike glanced back, clearly having heard us. Her face didn't show anything, but for a second I thought I caught a hint of sadness. Catarina glanced back at us with disapproval, however.

 _A telepath ought to be able to keep her thoughts to herself,_ she said.

 _Sorry for liking talking,_ I attempted a comeback, but I knew she was right. It felt a bit strange, the idea that we could freely talk about anyone with our telepathy. I think we were all still getting used to it at that time.

As I hopped into my bunk, something that was almost tiring at that point given the strict schedule, Aurelia asked, _can we at least conclude that today was luck?_

 _Yes, you were lucky I made a mistake._

She laughed telepathically, _that time on the range would disagree, I'm a better shot._

 _I'm a better…_ I thought for a moment, _…swordfighter._

 _Well I'll call you when I need one of those,_ Aurelia assured me as she made herself comfortable below. _Goodnight._

 _Goodnight._ I replied.

* * *

No matter how many days we ate it for, the bread we were fed was still bland. I knew I wasn't alone in just not eating sometimes; the only thing that kept us sane was the knowledge we didn't actually need to eat anything.

Still, the longing for food was there. It was one day in the winter when I sat idly chewing on a piece of bread across from Aurelia. She stared at me blankly, certainly with the intent of eventually annoying me. I tried to ignore her, but it was getting harder by the second.

"Do you have anything better to do?" I finally asked as I swallowed the piece in my mouth. Aurelia briefly glanced around, then shook her head. Although I'd befriended Priscilla, it was true that there wasn't much communication outside of the pairs of us. _Is Germana going to change that soon,_ I wondered, _there's no way she'll let it go on like this, not when we're supposed to be teams._

"Even then, do you need to stare at me?" I asked, lifting up another piece of bread.

Aurelia just shrugged. I looked away from her, only to see her continuing to stare at me out of the corner of my eyes. Chewing faster in annoyance, I saw Priscilla approaching, Mariana following behind her. _Behind her,_ I thought, _that's strange._

"Hello," Priscilla said, hands clasped at her waist and a gentle smile on her face, "Vergiana, may we talk together?"

I nodded, "I don't think I'm doing anything here," I said, briefly glaring at Aurelia before standing up.

"Thank you," Priscilla said, turning to walk away. I followed, Mariana dropping behind me so that I ended up closer to Priscilla than she was.

 _What did I get into?_ I wondered, glancing briefly back at Aurelia as we exited the building. Priscilla led us towards the spot where we'd spoken before, where she'd told me everything. A short ways away, she looked at Mariana, "Please, just the two of us," she said.

Sorrowfully, Mariana turned around and stepped forwards a bit, while Priscilla led me around the building. She stared down at the ground, seeming sad. I awkwardly asked the obvious question, "Is it about Mariana?"

She didn't reply, and I felt bad for asking. Indeed, she started as though I hadn't spoke at all, "You and Aurelia are friends, right?"

"Of course," I said.

"How did you resolve your problems?" she wondered, now looking up at me.

"Well…" I hesitated, "We had to work out the emotions driving us against each other, I guess?"

"I see," Priscilla said in a sad voice as her gaze drifted away again.

As she stayed silent, I asked, "What's wrong? Did Mariana do some-"

"No!" Priscilla snapped, glaring at me. "She…she doesn't understand. I love her." I opened my mouth, but saw that she was about to continue, "And when you love someone, I think that means you should want the best for them. And as she is, Mariana is hurting herself."

"What do you mean?" I asked, briefly glancing the direction we'd come.

"Not physically," Priscilla corrected me, "It's that she's not caring for herself, she only cares about me. It's not that I don't want her to, it's that I want her to think of herself once in a while." She took a deep breath, "Back in that game, she was doing nothing but thinking about me, not once about herself." She looked at me with pleading eyes, "I'm just not sure how to convince her too. She's scared for me, not because she thinks I can't protect myself, but just because she feels she has to be there for me, because she loves me."

Uneasily, I admitted, "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I have an answer for you. Like I said, with Aurelia and me it was a matter of just working through our problem, I'm not sure what to do."

Priscilla responded after a few seconds of silence, "I figured that would be the case."

"I wish I could help you," I said, but Priscilla was already turning towards me and starting to walk. She averted her eyes. "If you really do love her, then I'm sure you'll find some way," I said as she stepped past me.

Priscilla stopped, "We both love each other dearly."

Turning to her, I smiled, "Then I'm sure you'll be alright."

"Thank you," Priscilla said, and walked around the corner of the building. I followed her after a second and saw her walking back with Mariana. I could hear them speaking, so I waited till they passed out of earshot to start back myself.

 _I wonder if I'll ever feel that, especially now that I'm here,_ I thought, only to banish the concern as I went back.

* * *

The butt of the rifle felt uncomfortable as I pressed it against my shoulder, and it was hard to make out the second sight, the bit that sat in between the first. My finger shook as I slid it around the trigger, but I kept myself from actually pulling it. Gritting my teeth, I tried to take aim, but a split second before I actually wanted it, my finger yanked down and the rifle bucked against me.

I breathed a curse as I jumped in fright, almost dropping the rifle, but I caught it before it could hit the ground. Ignoring Aurelia's snickering, I looked at the target downrange, which I had of course missed. "It's not fair," I muttered, "Some of you are naturally better at this."

"I can see how using a magic pistol would make me good at using a real rifle," Aurelia replied as she aimed her own weapon.

I watched her fire, then smirked. "That was off-center," I commented.

"At least I hit it," was her obvious reply.

We were each firing at one target, with about ten feet between it and the next. Germana had given us a brief demonstration of how to hold a rifle, but it appeared we were expected to figure out the rest ourselves.

Aurelia was to my right, and to my left was Catarina. Of course, Alliana was beside her. As I slid the bolt back and forth, thinking about how archaic this thing was, I heard Catarina scoff. I turned my head, as I did Aurelia, but neither of the other two were saying a word.

 _Arguing again,_ I concluded. Much to the delight of everyone, they'd taken to having their debates entirely telepathically. _Figured out what it was actually about yet?_ I asked Aurelia.

 _You're the rich girl here,_ she replied, snapping off another shot that, while not perfect, was still better than what I could do.

 _And I never thought paying attention to complicated stuff about…whatever it is they talk about, would ever come in handy._ I replied, trying to steady my aim yet again. My finger relaxing on the trigger, I kept waiting for Aurelia to distract me, but nothing came.

The gun bucked, and just beneath the bullseye a small hole appeared. "Nice job," Aurelia said. I glared at her, waiting for the backhand to the compliment. Again, nothing.

"Awfully nice today," I commented.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Aurelia replied, raising her weapon again as I slid the bolt back and forth.

"That we are, I suppose." I agreed, looking past her to the other stations where Erike and Kerilia stood focused on their training, not saying a word. _We aren't all, though._

But beyond them, Tialla and Queliana looked to be getting along. Neither of them were very good, but they were at least having a good time. _Of all of us, they seem like the only normal ones,_ I thought, before looking the opposite direction past Catarina and Alliana at Priscilla and Mariana.

Just as I laid eyes on them, Germana's shout made me jump, "Get back to work Ms. Laurentia!" Instantly the rifle snapped to my shoulder and I was taking aim again.

* * *

I have much to learn, unfortunately. I was knocked out rather early in a simulated exercise testing our skill with firearms. The other recruits think highly of me. I shall not disappoint their belief.

-Erike Breiner

* * *

End Chapter 15 of Record

* * *

My apologies for the delay in this, I hope you can understand. It has nothing to do with yourself or your friend. We were simply focused on ensuring our house is in order after the revelation of Alania and her co-conspirators.

But that aside, it is my pleasure to welcome you into the Deathwatch. I shall see you soon for as formal a ceremony as we have here. From there, we should begin right away. The Assassinorum has already identified several leads.

The Goddess Protects

-Captain Cynthia Reluges, Deathwatch

* * *

As requested, we have conducted a full review of all information pertaining to the ghosts. The physical archive on Terra is still unchanged, fortunately. The green one confirmed on Aija is certainly a new one, it seems she hasn't been reported before. At your request, we can dispatch additional Assassinorum elements to aid the Deathwatch.

You'll find all the reports telepathically transcribed attached to this message.

-Mistress of the Vigil to Lord Inquisitor Caelina


	24. Laetitia

**This is really short, but I think it's alright. I'm overcorrecting a bit from my original draft, which spent a really long and completely unnecessary amount of time on training, and given that Meryet and Columbine's stories aren't moving** **forwards** **during this, I've decided to move faster through this section of Vergiana's.**

* * *

I have never known what transpired between Priscilla and Mariana that winter, how they solved that problem, even to the very moment I write this. But they did solve it, and however they did, it was not nearly as dramatic as Aurelia and I's solution to our own problems.

It was another day on the shooting range when I finally noticed. This time Germana was actually helping us get better, and when combined with the standard injections of knowledge, I was surprised to find myself becoming a good shot.

I could have sworn that just the day before they were as separate as the two could possibly be, but as I caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of my eye, I realized that something had changed. _I guess they made up,_ I remarked to Aurelia as I looked at them.

Whilst I did, Aurelia was busy firing a tight grouping of shots downrange. She was still better than me. I heard her reloading the weapon as she commented, _awfully nosy, aren't you?_

I was about to reply, but just then Mariana had given me an unpleasant glare, and I quickly turned my head back. _Maybe you have a point._

 _Maybe?_ Aurelia scoffed as she raised the rifle and fired again.

 _I'm just happy they got over their problems,_ I defended myself as I reloaded my own gun.

 _And how they did it better than us?_ Aurelia joked.

 _That's what I thought, yes,_ I admitted, trying to fire again. Every shot managed to hit, but it was still far from perfect.

* * *

None of us were surprised when Germana eventually started having us spar with different people. At least at first, we could choose as long as it was someone different from out partner. So those times Mariana forced me to Priscilla, but she was at least comfortable enough to not look too angry when I injured her lover.

Probably because she took that anger out on Aurelia. She wasn't better than her, but her anger certainly helped her leave a mark. I didn't like seeing Aurelia hurt, but she didn't like seeing me hurt, and Mariana certainly didn't like seeing Priscilla hurt. It was a rather somber experience at first.

But of course, the time came when Germana began to assign partners. I knew I would get Erike eventually, but I still wasn't ready when it actually came time.

She offered her hand to me before we started, and I tentatively shook. "Good luck," she said flatly. I echoed her before taking a step back, trying to suppress my fright.

Our sensitivity to pain had long since been begun to be dulled, but we could still feel it if it was serious. Getting your arm broken is apparently about that level of pain, given the feeling I had when I fell to the ground after Erike finished.

Trying to suppress my cry, I saw her almost surprised by what she did, maybe even afraid. "You're good," I commented, though it wasn't news to me or anyone.

Slowly I tried to push myself up, trying to remind myself that I'd be back to normal in a little while, only for Erike to come over and pull me up by herself. "Sorry," she said, "You probably didn't learn anything from that."

"Huh?" I was confused as I tired to stand upright, only to collapse as I realized Erike had broken my knee with a kick. She caught me, and explained.

"We're doing this so we can learn. I guess you're not learning much fighting me," Erike said flatly, "So, sorry."

"I learned I'm not that good at this," I shrugged. Given our increasing skill and power, it was common that such injuries occurred in our sparring. We were expected to just wait it out. Aurelia and I had broken each other's bones on multiple occasions, though never as fast as Erike could.

"But you didn't learn how to be better," Erike said, while I focused my magic on healing my leg. About then Aurelia had put Kerilia on the ground, and after helping her up looked over to me.

"As expected," she called mockingly, and I sighed. Kerilia didn't seem to be paying much attention to her partner, instead waiting for herself to heal so she could continue.

"Wait till you go up against Erike!" I shouted back, but at that Erike seemed saddened. "What's the matter?" I asked, looking at her, who still held me with one arm around my shoulder.

"It's nothing…" Erike said, and I realized I struck a nerve.

"I'm sorry if I bothered you," I said, "It was meant as a compliment, I'm not scared of you."

"You are," Erike said quietly, and that fact certainly made her sad.

I really was, and I wasn't sure if the truth was better than the lie. _Maybe I should admit it, she seems to believe it anyways._ "I am, a little, but it's not that I don't like you," I said quietly.

"Everyone seems to say that," Erike replied, though she didn't seem angry, or even annoyed. "Thank you."

She didn't say anything more the rest of the sparring, save for the apologies she gave.

* * *

Most of the shooting exercises turned out in much the same way as the first, at least for Aurelia and me, and Mariana of course. Everyone else was actually getting better, although the winner was still the ranged specialist. Priscilla came close a few times, but they may have been the fault of her magical weapon being what it was. Mariana didn't take a shot from her until the very end the last time we did it alone.

As for Aurelia and I, we still spent the games trying to outwit the other, usually ending in failure. But two months after it began, we found ourselves walking together through the snow-covered forest, as we had then moved on to fighting in pairs.

She walked ahead of me, keeping her eyes ahead while I scanned our sides. I clenched the rifle tightly in my hands, ready at a moment's notice to fire, though I knew I wouldn't hit anything. Aurelia had instructed me to leave the shooting to her, and I did like the sound of that idea, though as I considered it, a question appeared in my mind.

"Aurelia?" I started as she stopped behind a tree before her, peeking around it.

"Yes?" she looked at me out of the corner of her eyes.

"You're not going to use me as bait, are you?" I asked.

"It's a good idea, I think," Aurelia said as she moved around the tree and kept moving.

"Aurelia," I growled, almost shouting, "I'm not being bait."

"I don't think it's up to me," Aurelia shrugged, "You're the one dyed bright white."

"That's why we're in the forest?" I asked, continuing to follow her. We'd learned how to move slowly and quietly over the various simulations. Not as well as those trained to do so, but we were grasping the basics. "Weren't we following Mariana and Priscilla?"

"You want to go up against them without a plan?" Aurelia asked, "I can shoot, you can't, so how about you distract them?"

"I can shoot," I said, "I've shot _you_ plenty of times!"

I couldn't see her face, but I knew Aurelia winced at that. She looked back, annoyed, "I've shot you too," she insisted. Suddenly a gunshot echoed out, and we instinctively dropped down. The game had begun barely a few minutes before, but that was the first shot. It was followed by another, then several more. Then nothing.

"Other side of the lake," Aurelia said, then gestured for us to keep moving the way we were, which was upwards to where I had guessed Mariana and Priscilla had gone. Going after them had been Aurelia's idea, which I went along with simply because I had no better ones. But knowing Mariana helped me figure where they'd be.

Not somewhere too close to the action, but not somewhere far away either, lest everyone else wanting to camp out go there as well. "Why do you even want to go after them?" I asked Aurelia in annoyance, "Do you really think they're an easy target?"

"No, I just want to see how Mariana will act after all that's happened," Aurelia explained.

"I thought you didn't pry into other people's business," I snapped.

"I _don't,_ " Aurelia agreed, then looked back at me with a smile, "But _you_ do, and you also tell me everything. Not a good idea, really."

"Mariana doesn't seem to have changed much," I said, struggling up the ground as it started to slope upwards, "But that's why, isn't it? You're provoking her."

"Maybe."

"That's honestly rude," I said, stopping in my tracks, "I'm not going ahead-" I ducked down again as another volley of gunshots rung out, though again they weren't aimed at us. "I'm not going to help you harass someone. Why do you even care about them anyways?"

"I don't, really," Aurelia shrugged as she stood up, "But you are about to leave me alone, so I have successfully bothered you enough."

In that moment I recalled that Germana had told us that shooting our teammates was off-limits. "Are you serious?" I asked, "All of that, just to get me annoyed at you? You're actually insufferable. Where did you intend to go? To get me to leave you alone? What would that accomplish?"

"It would mean you going down in a very funny way as you wander the forest alone," Aurelia said, "Though I admit, I'm not sure how I would have seen you do that."

"Ok, now I'm actually-" I was interrupted again by the sound of a gunshot, though this one coincided with Aurelia toppling to the ground. "Aurelia!" I shouted, hitting the ground and crawling behind a tree. I looked at her body and saw the dart stuck in the right side of her neck. _To the right_ , I thought, and briefly peeked my head out, only for something to whizz through my hair. _Priscilla. And that means Mariana is there too._

"Nice job idiot," I said, knowing she could hear me, "This'll be really embarrassing." But as I sat there, a smile came to my face, "Only if I lose too." I stuck my hand out for a moment, and a shot barely missed it. Then I leapt from cover towards another tree, a bit closer to the top of the slope I figured Priscilla was shooting from.

Right as I was about to peek out again, I heard something behind me. But it was too late, as a dart stuck into my back and I felt myself going limp. I saw Mariana standing above me, "I never thanked you those months ago, for talking to Priscilla," she said, "Thank you." She smiled, "Turns out she can take care of herself." With that said she jogged back up the slope towards her partner.

Liliana unlocked the telepathy between Aurelia and I, and I immediately found myself laughed at. _This is your fault,_ I replied, trying to shut her out.

 _That's true, but I think it was worth it._

 _This wasn't part of your plan, was it?_

 _Oh no, that was far too good to have been planned,_ Aurelia said, still laughing.

I mentally sighed, and laid there on the slope in the cold until the game was over, Aurelia never really stopping her laughing. In the end, it would be Mia's pair that won, managing to outshoot Catarina and Alliana.

* * *

Though it was a weekday, we still found ourselves waiting outside Liliana's office. We had simply been sent there by Germana and told by Liliana to wait. As usual, one person went in at a time. It felt like the first time we gathered, and I really couldn't imagine was what was going on.

Nonetheless it was nice to relax. It would have been better if I was alone, but I was never alone those days. As I sat there next to Aurelia, I thought about how I had never really been alone for months, save for during the games. But in terms of relaxing, I never had the chance to be truly alone. That was something I wasn't used to.

 _You're from the city, right?_ I asked.

 _You are too,_ Aurelia reminded me, but she understood the meaning, _but yes, I suppose I'm one of those lower-_

 _That's not what I meant, I'm sorry,_ I said, and Aurelia shrugged.

 _What is it?_

 _I imagine you were with other people a lot. I had so much space wherever I lived, I could be alone wherever I wanted,_ I said, _so how did you handle it?_

 _Handle it? It was always like that, I guess I was just used to it,_ Aurelia admitted. She looked down at the chairs they sat on, _probably more comfortable seating than these too, huh?_

 _Yes…_ I lamented the loss of that too.

 _Feel free to rest your head on me,_ Aurelia said mockingly, I won't mind.

 _What? Who would-_ I stopped as I looked across the room and saw Priscilla curled up in her chair resting on Mariana's lap. No one really liked at that, it sort of made us all uncomfortable back then, being as young as we were. _Are you jealous of them,_ I joked, but Aurelia didn't appear amused. I wondered if it was impossible for me to make a joke without offending someone while I asked, _what is it?_

 _Nothing,_ Aurelia shook her head, _just a reminder of something._

I realized it quickly enough, _don't tell me you had someone before you contracted?_

Aurelia glared at me, but admitted, _I did. But he wasn't anything special, alright?_

 _Alright, I'm sorry,_ I said, and looked away. Luckily, I was saved from sitting awkwardly beside her when Catarina came out, "Vergiana," she called, before returning to sit with Alliana.

I took a deep breathe and walked to Liliana's office. Everything was the same, and I really did wonder what was going to happen. Liliana smiled at me as I entered, "Hello Vergiana, please take a seat." I did, and began to prepare my mind as Liliana had taught me, but of course she said next, "I apologize for making you uncomfortable, if all this did. This is just a psychological exam."

"A psychological exam?" I asked, "Why?"

"Just procedure," Liliana explained, "So relax and let me ask you some simple questions. It's nothing difficult, so don't worry."

"Ok…" though I had some worries, I figured it would be fine.

"First, how would you've adapted to life away from your home? Not specifically life here, but how have you handled being separated from your previous environment?"

"I think it's been alright," I said, "I have…friends here. People I can trust. If there's anything I miss it's reading, I used to do that a lot. But I'm so busy during the day I don't think about it much."

"That's good to hear," Liliana said, "Do you think it's good you've connected so well here?"

"Of course?" I wondered why it wouldn't be.

"Do you think it's because you didn't have a connection at home?"

That question gave me pause. _My parents are good people but…maybe…_ , "No," I concluded after a long pause. I've since seen my own records. Liliana knew that was a lie.

"So you've adapted well to life here?"

"Yes," I said confidently, "I'm happy to be here, to have contracted."

"Good," Liliana said, "While you say that, it seems you've had some trouble with your partner, Aurelia. Care to explain?"

"Well, that was a difference of our beliefs," I said, "Difference in who we are. I think we got over it." I sighed, "Maybe not in the healthiest way."

"Indeed, do you think the nature of that strengthened or weakened your relationship?"

"Strengthened it," I answered immediately, "I saved her from herself. I think she did the same to me. I don't see how we'll ever split apart now." I ruminated on what I said for a moment, _even though she's thinking about him?_

"I see. Is there anyone else here who you have such a connection with?"

I shook my head furiously, "No, nothing like that. I mean, Priscilla trusts me, and maybe Mariana does, but we're friends, nothing more than that. Catarina and Alliana are also nothing more than friends," I explained.

"Alright. Do you feel you're being prepared for your life as a mage knight?"

"I do. Germana is very good. I mean, I guess I have no experience with such a teacher, but I think she's good. She makes us feel safe, like we're capable," I explained.

Liliana smiled at that, "Good. Are you hopeful for the future?"

"Yes, I am." I said confidently.

"Anything else you'd like to share me with me? I admit I do have to record this entire conversation in the archives, but I assure you that no one here will be seeing it for some time," Liliana said.

I thought for a minute, and was close to saying I was done, but didn't. "If someone's angry at you, what's the best thing to do?" I asked.

"Generally, give them space," Liliana said, "Let them, and you, calm down, then wait a while for them to speak to you. If they don't, then you should bring it up yourself, be sure to apologize to them."

"Ok, thanks," I said, and was about to stand up, till a lighter question came to mind, "Why are you doing this now? Did something happen?"

Liliana shook her head, "Oh no, this is regular procedure. We have to hold at least one such examination every year, but the time isn't set. Some people do it early on if there are problems, others wait. We decided to wait, seeing as how you're all doing alright on your own. We'd just prefer not to wait too long and let it slip."

"I see," I replied, "Well, thanks for the advice"

"You're welcome," she said, "Call in Aurelia please."

I walked out of the office and back towards the others. "Aurelia," I said, and she stood up and walked past me.

As she did, she whispered, _sorry,_ in my head.

I grinned, _me too._

* * *

I think they're all scared of me, except Kerilia. She doesn't seem so scared, maybe she knows I won't hurt her by now. On one hand I wish I wasn't so strong, but I know that's not what's desired of me. I'm getting better at shooting, though I still can't win. I'll become even better.

-Erike Breiner

All is going well here. There have been some extraordinary events, but nothing requiring serious intervention. The sergeant and I both have high expectations for this batch.

-Excerpt from a letter sent by Librarian Liliana Maglin, as part of her wider yearly psychological report, to the Lifeguards Librarium.


End file.
